serpent

n. 蛇（尤指大蛇或毒蛇）；狡猾的人

中文词源

serpent 蛇

来自古法语 serpent,蛇，来自拉丁语 serpens,蛇，爬行生物，来自 serpere,爬行，来自 PIE*serp, 爬行，词源同 herpetology,herpes.

serpent: serpent: [14] The serpent is etymologically a ‘crawling’ animal. The word comes via Old French serpent from Latin serpēns, a noun use of the present participle of serpere ‘crawl, creep’. This was a close relative of Greek hérpein ‘creep’, from which English gets herpes [17] (etymologically the ‘creeping’ disease) and herpetology ‘study of reptiles’ [19].
=> herpes
serpent (n.): c. 1300, "limbless reptile," also the tempter in Gen. iii:1-5, from Old French serpent, sarpent "snake, serpent" (12c.), from Latin serpentem (nominative serpens) "snake; creeping thing," also the name of a constellation, from present participle of serpere "to creep," from PIE *serp- "to crawl, creep" (cognates: Sanskrit sarpati "creeps," sarpah "serpent;" Greek herpein "to creep," herpeton "serpent;" Albanian garper "serpent").

Used figuratively of things spiral or regularly sinuous, such as a type of musical instrument (1730). Serpent's tongue as figurative of venomous or stinging speech is from mistaken medieval notion that the serpent's tongue was its "sting." Serpent's tongue also was a name given to fossil shark's teeth (c. 1600).

音似“蛇喷他”——能喷毒液的蛇——大毒蛇

1. He felt as if a serpent had spat venom into his eyes.: 他感觉就像有一条蛇朝自己的双眼里喷射了毒液。