Etymology Explorer › English

Where does “serpent” come from?

Serpent comes from Old French serpent, from Latin serpens, derived from the verb serpo meaning "to creep," ultimately from Proto-Indo-European serp-.

serpent (English): A snake; An obsolete wind instrument in the brass...

Definitions

  1. A snake; An obsolete wind instrument in the brass...

Ancestry of “serpent”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Middle Englishserpent—

Words derived from “serpent”

  • serpentlike
  • serpentry
  • serpentize
  • serpentwood
  • serpenticide
  • serpenticidal
  • serpentist
  • serepenit
Every word from Middle English serpent →