serpentine

1 of 3

adjective

ser·​pen·​tine ˈsər-pən-ˌtēn 

-ˌtīn

1

: of or resembling a serpent (as in form or movement)

2

: subtly wily or tempting

3

a

: winding or turning one way and another

a serpentine road

b

: having a compound curve whose central curve is convex

serpentinely adverb

serpentine

2 of 3

noun (1)

: something that winds sinuously

serpentine

3 of 3

noun (2)

ser·​pen·​tine ˈsər-pən-ˌtēn 

: a mineral or rock consisting essentially of a hydrous magnesium silicate usually having a dull green color and often a mottled appearance

Did you know?

A snake moves by curving and winding along the ground. Roads through the Pyrenees, the mountains that separate Spain from France, tend to be serpentine, curving back and forth on themselves up and down the steep slopes. Serpentine has other meanings as well. As a noun, it's the name for a soft green mineral, and also for the party streamers you might throw at midnight on New Year's Eve. The serpentine belt under the hood in your car is the long, looping belt that most of the car's accessories—the AC, the power steering, the alternator, and so on—depend on to get their power.

Synonyms

Adjective

• bending
• crazy
• crooked
• curled
• curling
• curved
• curving
• curvy
• devious
• sinuous
• tortuous
• twisted
• twisting
• winding
• windy

Examples of serpentine in a Sentence

Adjective

the country inn lies at the end of a rather serpentine road, but it's worth the trip

Recent Examples on the Web

Adjective

Completed in 1925, this charming hotel and cabin complex was designed by famed national park architect Gilbert Stanley Underwood and is set amongst the sky-high canyon walls and serpentine river bends that have drawn people to the park for decades. —Emily Pennington, Condé Nast Traveler, 23 Jan. 2023

Since then, she’s been seen in a heap of Japanese cosplay wigs, sharp asymmetrical cuts, and serpentine body waves. —India Espy-Jones, Essence, 29 May 2024

Noun

Audubon of Florida and Friends of the Wekiva River contend that Hillcrest’s plans portend a flood of loosely regulated and badly done development that could put a death squeeze on the serpentine Wekiva and its adjoining springs and wetland forests. —Kevin Spear, Orlando Sentinel, 16 June 2024

And so—much like how the macho, all-American Jackson Pollock is now unironically described as a neo-Mannerist, an arranger of curls and fussy El Greco serpentines—de Kooning has made the long voyage across the Atlantic. —Jackson Arn, The New Yorker, 13 June 2024

Word History

Etymology

Adjective

Middle English, from Anglo-French serpentin, from Late Latin serpentinus, from Latin serpent-, serpens

Noun (2)

Middle English, from Anglo-French serpentin, Medieval Latin serpentina, serpentinum, from Late Latin, feminine & neuter of serpentinus resembling a serpent

First Known Use

Adjective

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Noun (1)

1519, in the meaning defined above

Noun (2)

15th century, in the meaning defined above

Kids Definition

serpentine

adjective

ser·​pen·​tine

ˈsər-pən-ˌtēn,

-ˌtīn

1

: of or resembling a serpent

2

: winding or turning one way and another

a serpentine path through the woods