Viper

Part of speech: noun

Pronunciation: /ˈvaɪpɚ/

Definitions

1. A type of snake known for its venomous bite and distinctive triangular head ; a person who is deceitful, spiteful, or harmful to others
2. A snake characterized by its ability to inject venom when it bites and often having heat-sensing pits ; an individual known for betrayal, cruelty, or malice towards others
3. A venomous reptile typically recognized by its fangs and dangerous bite ; a human regarded as untrustworthy, dangerous, or vicious in behavior

Etymology: The Latin "vīpera" was built from two ordinary words: "vīvus", meaning "alive", and "parere", meaning "to bear". Its original sense was "viviparous", giving birth to live young rather than laying eggs, and the snake was named for that reproductive habit. The Latin word was later contracted from "vīvipara", and it passed into Old French as "vipre" before reaching Middle French as "vipere" and English as "viper". The English word is a doublet of "weever" and "wyvern", which means all three descend from the same Latin ancestor but reached English by different routes. The shared root is the reason a fish called the weever and the legendary two-legged dragon called the wyvern look so unlike a snake yet are etymologically related to it. The figurative sense of a treacherous person developed later, drawing on the old reputation of vipers as sly and dangerous creatures.

Synonyms: snake, serpent