serpentines
pənˌtin, -ˌtaɪn adjective
2.
having a winding course, as a road; sinuous.
3.
shrewd, wily, or cunning.
noun
4.
a device on a harquebus lock for holding the match.
5.
a cannon having any of various bore sizes, used from the 15th to the 17th century.
6.
Skating. a school figure made by skating two figure eights that share one loop.
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Serpentines
is always a great word to know.
So is quincunx. Does it mean:
| the offspring of a zebra and a donkey. |
| an arrangement of five objects, as trees, in a square or rectangle, one at each corner and one in the middle. |
verb (used without object)
7.
to make or follow a winding course: The stream serpentines through the valley.
Origin:
1350–1400; Middle English (adj.) < Latin serpentīnus snakelike, equivalent to serpent- serpent + -īnus ine1
1350–1400; Middle English (adj.) < Latin serpentīnus snakelike, equivalent to serpent- serpent + -īnus ine1
Synonyms
2. twisting, snaking, tortuous.
2. twisting, snaking, tortuous.
Dictionary.com Unabridged
noun
a common mineral, hydrous magnesium silicate, H 2 Mg 3 Si 2 O 2 , usually oily green and sometimes spotted, occurring in many varieties: used for architectural and decorative purposes.
Origin:
1350–1400; Middle English serpentyn < Medieval Latin serpentīnum, noun use. of neuter of serpentīnus serpentine1
1350–1400; Middle English serpentyn < Medieval Latin serpentīnum, noun use. of neuter of serpentīnus serpentine1
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2013.
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Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2013.
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Link To Serpentines
Collins
World English Dictionary
serpentine1 (ˈsɜːpənˌtaɪn) ![[Click for IPA pronunciation guide]](http://static.sfdict.com/dictstatic/g/d/dictionary_questionbutton_default.gif) | |
| —adj | |
| 1. | of, relating to, or resembling a serpent |
| 2. | twisting; winding |
| —n | |
| 3. | maths a curve that is symmetric about the origin of and asymptotic to the x-axis |
| [C14: from Late Latin serpentīnus, from serpēns | |
| serpentine2 (ˈsɜːpənˌtaɪn) | |
| —n | |
| 1. | a dark green or brown mineral with a greasy or silky lustre, found in igneous and metamorphic rocks. It is used as an ornamental stone; and one variety (chrysotile) is known as asbestos. Composition: hydrated magnesium silicate. Formula: Mg3Si2O5(OH)4. Crystal structure: monoclinic |
| 2. | any of a group of minerals having the general formula (Mg,Fe)3Si2O5(OH)4 |
| [C15 serpentyn, from Medieval Latin serpentīnum | |
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 10th Edition
2009 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009
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2009 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009
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Etymonline
Word Origin & History
serpentine
c.1400, "plant reputed to contain antivenom," from O.Fr. serpentin (fem. serpentine), from L.L. serpentius "of a serpent," from L. serpentem (nom. serpens) "snake" (see serpent). As the name of a greenish mineral, attested from early 15c. The adj. meaning "twisting, winding"
first recorded 1610s (an earlier adj. meaning "having the evil qualities of a serpent" is recorded from late 14c.). The winding lake of that name in Hyde Park, London, was constructed in 1730.
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper
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American Heritage
Science Dictionary
serpentine  (sûr'pən-tēn', -tīn') Pronunciation Key
Any of a group of greenish, brownish, or yellowish monoclinic minerals, occurring in igneous or metamorphic rocks. They are used as a source of magnesium and asbestos. Chemical formula: (Mg,Fe)3Si2O5(OH)4. |
The American Heritage® Science Dictionary
Copyright © 2002. Published by Houghton Mifflin. All rights reserved.
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Copyright © 2002. Published by Houghton Mifflin. All rights reserved.
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