Serpent vs. snake, which term do you use to describe the limbless and legless creature that caused man and woman to sin against God according to Genesis? The debate about the difference between these two words has existed for a long time. Let us clear it out now!
A serpent is a reptile of the Ophidia order or a giant snake. The word also refers to a treacherous person or a musical instrument. A snake is a reptile without legs and has an elongated, slim body and a fork-looking tongue. A snake is also a tool for unclogging the plumbing system/pulling a cable.
People often use the words “serpent” and “snake” synonymously when referring to a legless and limbless vertebrate with a scaly, thin, and long body. However, do these words have the same meaning? If not, what is their difference? Find out all that in this post.
Definitions Of Serpent And Snake
In Zoology, a serpent is a giant snake. Therefore, it is the alternate word for a snake. For example, in a sentence, “I almost fainted when I saw the serpent on the ground.”
In Christianity, a serpent is a creature described in the Bible’s book of Genesis that tempted Eve to sin. Christians refer to a snake as a creature representation of Satan or the devil. Here is an example of this word in the book of Genesis, “Satan, in the form of a serpent assumed to tempt Eve.”
In Music, a serpent refers to an obsolete wind instrument in the brass family with a shape resembling a snake, made with wood and covered with feathers. Let’s look at a sentence example: “I never knew that the serpent was a musical instrument.”
The figurative definition of a serpent is “a subtle, treacherous, evil, malicious, or sly person.” For example, in a sentence, “Jane is a serpent; you should not trust anything she says.”
Another definition is a firework that writhes while burning. Therefore, it produces a serpentine motion when it burns. In a sentence, “The party goers light up the serpent fireworks as soon as the clock strikes midnight.”
Definition Of Snake
The primary definition of a snake is “a carnivore, limbless, legless, reptile from the Serpentes suborder. The animal’s skin features overlapping scales, and sources claim that snakes are a product of lizard evolution. In a sentence, “The snake scared the kids off the playing field.”
A snake is also a long, flexible metal wire or coil used to unclog or clean drains in plumbing (auger). For example, “The plumber used a snake to dislodge the obstructions in the curved pipes.”
Another definition is “a length of resilient steel wire used to thread through an electrical conduit for pulling wires.” It is a tool for cable pulling. In a sentence, “Another name for a snake is a wire puller.”
In mathematics, a snake is “a series of Bezier Curves.” For example, “The snake of Bezier Curves made no sense to the mathematician.”
The figurative definition of a snake is “a treacherous, evil, sly, or dangerous person.” In a sentence, “Jane behaves like a snake in the grass with her peers.”
As a verb, to snake means “to glide or move like a snake.” Here is an example in a sentence, “The pain in my abdomen caused me to snake on the floor.”
In Forestry, the word snake is a transitive verb for “hauling a heavy object like a log by fastening a rope around one of its ends.” In a sentence, “John taught his son how to snake the logs out of the forest.”
How To Properly Use Serpent And Snake In A Sentence
You have probably used these words before or heard others use them. However, do you know how to use them in sentences correctly? Find out in this section.
How To Use The Word Serpent
Use this word as a noun in the following contexts:
- Referring to a giant snake
- Referring to a disloyal or sly person
- Referring to a deceitful or wicked person
- Referring to an obsolete wind musical instrument shaped like a snake and made with wood, feather, and brass.
Besides its use as a noun, you can use this word as a verb when referring to any motion resembling a snake’s twisting or an action by a wicked, deceitful, sly, or disloyal person.
You can also use its other word forms, like serpents (plural), serpented (past tense or past participle), and serpenting (present participle.)
How To Use The Word Snake
Use this word as a noun in a sentence in the following contexts:
- Referring to a legless reptile with a long, thin, scally body and a fork-shaped tongue
- Referring to an offensive, dishonest, or disloyal person
- As the alternative word for a wire puller or plumber’s auger
When referring to a movement, twist, or wind, use this word as a verb without an object. For example, “According to the blueprints, the road will snake among the mountains.”
Additionally, use it as a verb with an object when referring to “winding or making way like a snake.” For example, to snake your way through the crowd.
When using this word as a verb, you can also use its other word forms like snakes (simple present indicative plural form), snaking (the present participle), and snaked (past tense or past participle).
Consider These Four Things When Using Serpent And Snake
Thanks to the section above, you can now use these words in written or spoken sentences. However, below are four critical things to consider when using these words:
Meaning And Context
A word’s definition usually explains the context where you can use it. Therefore, since the words “serpent” and “snake” have multiple meanings, you should always consider them when determining the contexts where you can apply them. As you can tell from the definitions sections above, some meanings are related while others are not.
Syllables And Pronunciation
The word “serpent” has two syllables, “ser-pent.” When pronouncing it, you should stress the first syllable. Therefore, its correct pronunciation is “/sur-punt/.” On the other hand, the word snake is a mono-syllable word. Its proper pronunciation is “/sneyk/.”
Spelling
Correct spelling is mandatory in English writing. The correct spellings for these words are: S.N.A.K.E and S.E.R.P.E.N.T. Using correct spellings will help you pass across the correct message.
History And Etymology
The word serpent originates from the Bible (Genesis 3:1-5). However, it also has roots in Old French “serpent,” meaning “snake.” Its first recorded use was in the 12th century. On the other hand, the word snake comes from Swedish “snok,” German “schnake,” and Old English “snaka.” Its first known use was in the early 1800s.
Word Comparison Posts
Examples Of Serpent And Snake Use In Sentences
The sections above cover all the essential information you should know about these words. Now let us look at some sentence examples:
Example sentences of the word serpent
- The serpent is mentioned in the Bible as the greatest deceiver.
- We do not associate with Jacinta because she is a serpent.
- The students got a pet serpent for their classroom.
- I ran so fast when I saw a serpent on the grass.
- Her peers dislike Jane because of her serpent-like behaviors.
Example sentences of the word snake
- The snake is one of the scariest animals I have encountered.
- We visited the snake park in Texas during our road trip.
- The plumber’s snake broke inside the drain.
- Hanna is a wicked snake; you should not trust her.
- The mechanics used a snake to pull the wire out of the conduit.
Conclusion
Snake and serpent are a few of thousands of confusing or similar English words. This post evidences that these words are indeed related. However, these words have other meanings and elements that set them apart. Let us know which elements stand out the most.
Shawn Manaher is the founder and CEO of The Content Authority. He’s one part content manager, one part writing ninja organizer, and two parts leader of top content creators. You don’t even want to know what he calls pancakes.