serpiente

Spanish

Etymology

Inherited from Latin serpentem, derived from serpere (“slither, creep”), from Proto-Indo-European *serp-. Doublet of sierpe. Cognate with English serpent.

Pronunciation

IPA^(key): /seɾˈpjente/ [seɾˈpjẽn̪.t̪e]
Audio: (file)
Rhymes: -ente
Syllabification: ser‧pien‧te

Noun

serpiente f (plural serpientes)

snake, serpent (legless reptile of the sub-order Serpentes)
Synonyms: culebra, (archaic) sierpe
(specifically) a large or medium-sized snake
(figuratively) snake
Synonym: traidor

Usage notes

In the sense of "traitor," serpiente can be masculine.

Derived terms

serpiente de anteojos
serpiente de cascabel
serpiente de cristal
serpiente de verano
serpiente marina

See also

anguila f
víbora f

Further reading

“serpiente”, in Diccionario de la lengua española, Vigésima tercera edición, Real Academia Española, 2014

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