Serpentizing

Part of speech: verb

Definitions

1. Moving along in a winding, twisting course like a snake slithering across the ground
2. Following a sinuous, zigzagging path that curves back and forth in the manner of a serpent
3. Advancing with a coiling, undulating motion that weaves through space like a living snake

Etymology: "Serpentizing" is the present participle of "serpentize," which is formed from "serpent" and the suffix "-ize." The suffix, from Greek "-izein," turns a noun into a verb meaning "to make into, to act like, or to treat in the manner of" the noun. So the verb pictures something moving the way a serpent does: winding, twisting, or slithering along a path. The base noun "serpent" comes through Old French from Latin "serpens," the present participle of "serpere," meaning "to creep." Its literal sense is therefore "the creeping thing," which is why the Latin root fits a snake so well.