Serpentizes

Part of speech: verb

Definitions

1. Moves or winds along in a twisting, snakelike course that bends back and forth across the ground
2. Takes a sinuous, zigzag path the way a snake slides and curls over the terrain
3. Coils and bends in an undulating line, following a meandering route like a snake

Etymology: "Serpentizes" is the third-person singular form of "serpentize," which means to wind or twist like a serpent. The verb is built from "serpent," inherited from Latin "serpens," the present participle of "serpere," meaning "to creep," and the suffix "-ize," which turns a noun into a verb meaning "to make like" or "to cause to be." Put together, the base idea is simply to act in the manner of a snake. The word is a plain formation of this kind, so its interest lies in the picture it preserves: a sinuous, creeping movement given a verb of its own. English has many such coinages that take a noun for a creature and turn it into a description of how something moves or behaves.

Synonyms: coils, winds, twists