n. 1 usu. literary. a a snake, esp. of a large kind. b a scaly limbless reptile. 2 a sly or treacherous person, esp. one who exploits a position of trust to betray it. 3 Mus. an old bass wind instrument made from leather-covered wood, roughly in the form of an S. 4 (the Serpent) Bibl. Satan (see gen. 3, Rev. 20).
[ ME f. OF f. L serpens -entis part. of serpere creep ]