what is serpent in english
More. Snakes take their name from the fact that they have no legs and crawl along the ground. The ancestor of snake is an ancient Germanic word that meant âto crawl or creepâ. Serpent (Middle English) has a similar originâit comes from Latin serpere, which also meant âto crawl or creepâ.Yet another word with this original sense was Old English slink. You can describe a treacherous person as a snake in the grass, with the idea of a lurking danger. (also snake in the grass) A treacherous or deceitful person: that man is a cold-blooded snake. More example sentences. Synonyms. 1  And some CBS people I've talked to, as you well know, have referred to you as selfish, as sleazy, as a snake in the grass, and some other things that I can't say on the air.