Etymology Explorer › English

Where does “viper” come from?

Viper comes from Middle French vipere, from Old French vipre, from Latin vipera, ultimately derived from Proto-Indo-European roots meaning "to live" and "to bear."

viper (English): A venomous snake in the family "Viperidae"; A...

Definitions

  1. A venomous snake in the family "Viperidae"; A...

Ancestry of “viper”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Middle Frenchvipere—
2Old Frenchvipre—
3Latinvīpera—

Words derived from “viper”

  • viperous
  • viperish
  • viperfish
  • viperishly
  • viperishness
  • viperlike
  • viperously
  • viperoid
  • vipuro
Every word from Latin vīpera →