serpent
1
9.9
- noun
- /ˈsɜːrpənt/
- Archaic
:
serpiente (instrumento de viento antiguo)
- The musician played a beautiful melody on the serpent during the church service.
Examples
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In the military band, the deep sound of the serpent could be heard distinctly among the other instruments.
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During the performance, the conductor instructed the player to highlight the unique tones of the serpent.
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And then the burning copal would create smoke that went through the, the hollow pipe of the the serpent and come out its tail.
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In the midst of the melee, Sergeant Dundas thrashed, pawing at the tuba as if it were no longer a weapon but a serpent in whose coils he was entangled, trying to throw it off, trying to escape.
Fiction book (1996)
Compounds
- US
A tropical fern with brown scaly roots and large blue-green divided leaves often grown for decoration
A sea animal like a starfish with long thin arms that move easily from a small central body
Surface Forms
Etymology
Serpent was the name given to an old curved wind instrument because it looks like a long, winding snake; the word comes from Latin serpens and serpere meaning 'to creep'. So people called the instrument a 'serpent' because its shape reminds them of a snake.