Word
serpentine
Phoneticsser·pen·tine
US/ˈsɝpənˌtaɪn/
UK/sˈɜːpɪntˌaɪn/
Definition
adj. winding and twisting like a snake. You use this to describe things with many curves, like a road or a river.
adj. resembling a serpent in form or movement; sinuous and winding. Often describes physical paths or complex, indirect processes.
Examples
“The car drove slowly down the serpentine mountain road.”
“The river followed a serpentine path through the valley, creating deep loops in the green landscape.”
“Navigating the serpentine bureaucracy of the regional government required more patience than the young entrepreneur had originally anticipated.”
Examples
simple
“The car drove slowly down the serpentine mountain road.”
contextual
“The river followed a serpentine path through the valley, creating deep loops in the green landscape.”
complex
“Navigating the serpentine bureaucracy of the regional government required more patience than the young entrepreneur had originally anticipated.”
Usage
Commonly used to describe physical geography or metaphorical complexity.
Real-World Examples
“Across from the fireplace, a tall serpentine shape made of dried mud loops back and forth like a meandering river, ending at the top in the source.” “You get a persuasive portrait of a Rome exhausted by civil strife, and of the serpentine manoeuvrings of its rulers.” Etymology
From Middle English serpentine, from Old French serpentin, from Latin serpentīnus, from serpēns (“serpent”), equivalent to serpent + -ine.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Domains
Scan code
englishreference.com/q/serpentine