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serpe

snake, serpent

noun SER-peh Rare
Animals & Nature Wild Animals

Origin: Latin serpens, serpentis (creeping thing)

Usage Note

Serpe is a feminine noun (la serpe, le serpi), a poetic and literary variant of serpente (which is masculine). The two are near-synonyms, but serpe carries a more archaic, figurative, or pejorative flavour — especially in the proverb 'allevare una serpe in seno' ('to nurse a viper at one's bosom', i.e. to harbour a traitor). In everyday speech serpente is far more common.

Examples

"Una serpe si nascondeva tra le rocce scaldate dal sole."

Natural Translation

A snake was hiding among the rocks warmed by the sun.

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