serpentine 1
/serr"peuhn teen', -tuyn'/ , adj., n., v., serpentined, serpentining .
adj.
1. of, characteristic of, or resembling a serpent, as in form or movement.
2. having a winding course, as a road; sinuous.
3. shrewd, wily, or cunning.
n.
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.
v.i.
7. to make or follow a winding course: The stream serpentines through the valley.
[ 1350-1400; ME (adj.) serpentinus snakelike, equiv. to serpent- SERPENT + -inus INE 1 ]
Syn. 2. twisting, snaking, tortuous.
serpentine 2
/serr"peuhn teen', -tuyn'/ , n.
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.
[ 1350-1400; ME serpentyn serpentinum, n. use. of neut. of serpentinus SERPENTINE 1 ]