Viperesque

Part of speech: adjective

Definitions

1. Having the appearance, movements, or venomous qualities characteristic of a viper or other venomous snake
2. Looking or behaving like a viper, with a sinuous, treacherous, or poisonous manner
3. Suggestive of a serpent in its form, stealth, or capacity to inflict harm

Etymology: "Viperesque" is simply "viper" with the suffix "-esque" added, meaning "in the manner of" or "resembling." The suffix came into English from French, which took it from Italian "-esco," itself descended from Latin "-iscus," and it was attached to nouns to describe something having the character of the base word, as in "Kafkaesque" or "statuesque." The base word "viper" comes from Latin "vipera," a compound of "vivus" (living) and "parere" (to bring forth), a name that reflects the ancient belief that vipers gave birth to live young rather than laying eggs. The Latin word passed into English through Old French "vipere," and English has had "viper" for centuries as a term for the snake and, figuratively, for a treacherous person. Because "viperesque" is formed directly from "viper" and "-esque," it is a doublet only in a loose sense: it runs parallel to "viperish," a separate formation from the same base, and the two express much the same idea of snake-like or venomous character.

Synonyms: viperine, viperous, venomous