different between ophidian vs serpentine

English

Etymology

From Latin ophidia (from Ancient Greek ???? (óphis, “snake”)) +? -ian.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /o??f?di.?n/
• Hyphenation: ophid?i?an

Noun

ophidian (plural ophidians)

1. Any species of the suborder Serpentes; a snake or serpent.
   • 1997, Olivier Rieppel, 2: The Lepidosauromorpha: an overview with special emphasis on the Squamata, Nicholas C. Fraser, Hans-Dieter Sues (editors), In the Shadow of the Dinosaurs: Early Mesozoic Tetrapods, page 31,

     Vertebral structure is critical for the identification of fossil snakes, because vertebrae are among the most easily fossilized parts of ophidians.

   • 2011, Didier Marchand, Chapter 11: The Logic of Forms in the Light of Developmental Biology and Palaeontology, Paul Bourgine, Morphogenesis, page 205,

     It has long been known that ophidians have lost not only their front legs but also every embryonic trace of these limbs and their associated shoulder girdle (to such a degree that we cannot determine how many cervical vertebrae they have).

   • 2012, Bruce M. Rothschild, Hans-Peter Schultze, Rodrigo Pellegrini, Herpetological Osteopathology: Annotated Bibliography of Amphibians and Reptiles, page 226,

     Siamese or double monsters are well known in saurians, chelonians, and ophidians, as are bicephalic, two-tailed and conjoined bodies (thoracodymus, ischiodymus, etc.).

Translations

Adjective

ophidian (comparative more ophidian, superlative most ophidian)

1. Of or pertaining to the suborder Serpentes; of, related to, or characteristic of a snake or serpent.
   • 2009, Thomas E. Sniegoski, The Fallen, Simon Pulse (2003), ?ISBN, page 115:

     The ophidian beast began to glow eerily, and Aaron could discern a fine webwork of veins and capillaries running throughout the creature's body.

   • 2009, Encyclopedia of Islands (eds. Rosemary G. Gillespie & D. A. Clague), University of California Press (2009), ?ISBN, page 843:

     A less obvious asset of snakes is their very light and supple jaws, which arose in the course of ophidian evolution to permit the ingestion of extraordinarily large meals (at maximum, more than 100% of their body mass).

   • 2011, Pre-Columbian America: Empires of the New World (ed. Kathleen Kuiper), Britannica Educational Publishing (2011), ?ISBN, page 62:

     Another ophidian deity recognizable in Classic reliefs is the Feathered Serpent, known to the Maya as Kukulcán (and to the Toltecs and Aztecs as Quetzalcóatl).

Synonyms

• anguine

Translations

References

• (etymology) Ophidian, The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language: Fourth Edition. 2000.

English

Etymology 1

Borrowed from Old French serpentin, from Latin serpent?nus, from serp?ns (“serpent”).

Pronunciation

• (UK) IPA^(key): /?s??p?nta?n/
• (US) IPA^(key): /?s??p?nta?n/
• Rhymes: -??(r)p?nta?n

Adjective

serpentine (comparative more serpentine, superlative most serpentine)

1. Of, pertaining to, or characteristic of snakes.
2. Of, or having attributes associated with, the serpent referred to in the book of Genesis in the Bible, such as craftiness or deceitfulness.

3. Having the form or shape of a snake.

   Synonym: ophidian

4. Curving in alternate directions; sinuous.

   Synonyms: sinuous, tortuous, winding

Translations

Noun

serpentine (plural serpentines)

1. Any of several plants believed to cure snakebites.
2. (historical) An early form of cannon, used in the 16th century.
3. A kind of firework.
4. A coiled distillation tube.
5. (mathematics) Any of several related cubic curves; anguinea

Translations

Verb

serpentine (third-person singular simple present serpentines, present participle serpentining, simple past and past participle serpentined)

1. (archaic) To serpentize; to turn or bend; to meander.
   • 1813, George Nicholson, The Cambrian Traveller's Guidey

     There were two little lakes, or rather large pools which stood in the bottom, whence issued a rivulet which serpentined in view for two or three miles, offering a pleasing relief to the eye.

Etymology 2

Borrowed from Old French serpentine, from resemblance to a serpent's skin.

Pronunciation

• (Received Pronunciation) IPA^(key): /?s??p?nta?n/
• (US) IPA^(key): /?s??p?ntin/, /?s??p?nta?n/
• Rhymes: -??(r)p?nta?n

Noun

serpentine (countable and uncountable, plural serpentines)

1. (mineralogy) Any of several green/brown minerals consisting of a magnesium and iron silicates that have similar layered crystal structure.
2. (geology) An outcrop or region with soil and rock dominated by these minerals.

Hyponyms

• (mineral): antigorite, chrysotile, lizardite

Translations

Further reading

• David Barthelmy (1997–2021) , “Serpentine”, in Webmineral Mineralogy Database
• “serpentine”, in Mindat.org?^[1], Hudson Institute of Mineralogy, 2000–2021.

Anagrams

• terpinenes

French

Pronunciation

Adjective

serpentine

1. feminine singular of serpentin

Italian

Adjective

serpentine

1. feminine plural of serpentino

Noun

serpentine f pl

1. plural of serpentina

Latin

Adjective

serpent?ne

1. vocative masculine singular of serpent?nus