sea serpent
| 1. | an enormous, imaginary, snakelike or dragonlike marine animal. |
| 2. | (initial capital letters ) Astronomy. the constellation Hydra. |
1640–50
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2009.
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| sea serpent n. A large snakelike marine animal often reported by mariners since antiquity but never positively identified. |
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Sea serpent
Sea" ser`pent\ 1. (Zo["o]l.) Any marine snake. See Sea snake. 2. (Zo["o]l.) A large marine animal of unknown nature, often reported to have been seen at sea, but never yet captured. Note: Many accounts of sea serpents are imaginary or fictitious; others are greatly exaggerated and distorted by incompetent observers; but a number have been given by competent and trustworthy persons, which indicate that several diverse animals have been called sea serpents. Among these are, apparently, several large snakelike fishes, as the oar fish, or ribbon fish (Regalecus), and huge conger eels. Other accounts probably refer to the giant squids (Architeuthis). Some of the best accounts seem to describe a marine saurian, like the fossil Mosasauri, which were large serpentlike creatures with paddles.Cite This Source
sea serpent
mythological and legendary marine animal that traditionally resembles an enormous snake. The belief in huge creatures that inhabited the deep was widespread throughout the ancient world. In the Old Testament there are several allusions to a primordial combat between God and a monstrous adversary variously named Leviathan or Rahab. Although the references to Leviathan usually indicate a dragon-like creature, the name has also been used to denote a sea monster in general (see dragon). Analogies to this combat are found throughout the ancient Middle East. Babylonian literature records a battle between the god Marduk and the multi-headed serpent-dragon Tiamat, and in Hittite myth the weather god is victorious over the dragon Illuyankas. Similarly, a Canaanite poem from Ras Shamra (ancient Ugarit) in northern Syria records a battle between the god Baal and a monster called Leviathan.
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