Serpentine

Part of speech: adjective, noun

Pronunciation: /ˈsɜː.pənˌtaɪn/

Definitions

1. Winding and twisting like a snake, or characterized by curves and turns that resemble the movement of a serpent
2. Characterized by a sinuous and twisting form, resembling both the curves of a snake and a deceptive or cunning nature
3. Exhibiting a coiling and elongated shape akin to that of a serpent, often with a hint of insidiousness or craftiness

Etymology: Serpentine began life as a plain description of snakes. The Latin "serpēns" meant "serpent" or "snake," and the adjective "serpentīnus" meant "snake-like," built by adding the suffix "-inus," which turns a noun into an adjective of resemblance. Medieval English took the word from Old French "serpentin" in the Middle English period, when it still carried that literal sense of something coiling or sliding like a serpent. Its meaning then spread outward from the animal itself. Anything that wound, bent, or twisted in the manner of a snake could be called serpentine, so the word came to describe roads, rivers, and paths that curve back and forth rather than running straight. The same image also gave the word its use for a mineral, serpentine, named for its greenish, mottled colouring like snake skin, and for the noun sense of a winding course or motion.

Synonyms: snake-like, curvy, twisted, meandering, winding

Antonyms: straight, linear, direct, unwinding, flat