Anguine

Part of speech: adjective

Pronunciation: /ˈæŋ.ɡwɪn/

Definitions

1. Resembling or relating to a snake in form, movement, or characteristics
2. Serpentine in nature or appearance, having the elongated and sinuous qualities associated with snakes
3. Of or pertaining to snakes, characterized by their winding, undulating form and slithering motion

Etymology: Anguine is a straightforward Latin adjective: it comes from "anguinus", meaning "of or like a snake", which was formed from the noun "anguis", "snake". The suffix "-inus" is the common Latin adjective ending that turns a noun into a description of its qualities, so "anguinus" simply means "snake-ish" in the most literal sense. The noun "anguis" reaches back to a very old root for "snake" that also gave rise to the same stem in other ancient languages, which explains why the Latin word looks so much like the Greek "ophis" family only at a distance. English took the adjective directly from Latin, so the word is a learned borrowing rather than something that came down through everyday speech. Its use is largely confined to scholarly and literary writing, where it lets a writer describe a sinuous, serpentine quality without reaching for the plainer word "snakelike."

Synonyms: anxious, worried

Antonyms: calm, peaceful