Definitions

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition.

  • adjective Of, relating to, or resembling a snake or the snakes.
  • noun A snake.

from The Century Dictionary.

  • Having the nature or characters of a snake or serpent; belonging or relating to ophidians; of or pertaining to the Ophidia. Also ophidious.
  • noun A member of the Ophidia, as a snake or serpent.

from the GNU version of the Collaborative International Dictionary of English.

  • adjective (Zoöl.) Of or pertaining to the Ophidia; belonging to serpents.
  • noun (Zoöl.) One of the Ophidia; a snake or serpent.

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.

  • noun Any species of the suborder Serpentes; a snake or serpent.
  • adjective Of or pertaining to the suborder Serpentes; of, related to, or characteristic of a snake or serpent.

from WordNet 3.0 Copyright 2006 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.

  • noun limbless scaly elongate reptile; some are venomous

Etymologies

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 4th Edition

[From New Latin Ophidia, suborder name, from Greek ophis, snake.]

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License

From Latin Ophidia, from Ancient Greek ὄφις (ophis, "snake") +‎ -ian

Support

Help support Wordnik (and make this page ad-free) by adopting the word ophidian.

Examples

  • I knew of the Snake Dances in farthest Estwilde, where the mongoose is brought in to the last movement of the dance, where with nothing but quickness and brains and sharp teeth it goes up against the deadly ophidian to the music of pipe and drums.

    Virginity Sydney Kilgore 2010

  • - She perceives me to be of ophidian sentiment, I will bathe with her.

    THE BOOK OF SUCH ~ a suite of poems 2009

  • - She perceives me to be of ophidian sentiment, I will bathe with her.

    THE BOOK OF SUCH ~ a suite of poems 2009

  • Snake-like-ness happens to have a number of different adjectives, including one of the rare non - ine forms: ophidian.

    Breakfast in Bed desayunoencama 2005

  • A glance over his The Conquering Sword of Conan shoulder just as the door was closing showed Conan the long dim vista of the hall, and dimly framed at the other end an ophidian shape that writhed slowly and painfully into view, flowing in a dull-hued length from a chamber door, its hideous blood-stained head wagging drunkenly.

    The Conquering Sword Of Conan Howard, Robert E. 2005

  • A glance over his The Conquering Sword of Conan shoulder just as the door was closing showed Conan the long dim vista of the hall, and dimly framed at the other end an ophidian shape that writhed slowly and painfully into view, flowing in a dull-hued length from a chamber door, its hideous blood-stained head wagging drunkenly.

    The Conquering Sword of Conan Howard, Robert E. 2005

  • But if the sun grew more and more hot and dazzling as the day progressed, then the tremendous ophidian head would become increasingly real to my sight, with glistening scales and symmetrical markings; and I would walk carefully not to stumble against or touch it; and when I cast my eyes behind me I could see no end to its great coils extending across the savannah.

    Green Mansions 2004

  • As she recited the prayer with a mien as dark as fate, the supplicant rolled her long neck from side to side, and nodded her ophidian-shaped head in accordance with a sort of regular, lethargic rhythm.

    Through Russia 2003

  • She aimed at the ophidian head of the serpent and was on the point of striking, when she started with surprise and lowered her hand.

    Warlock Smith, Wilbur 2001

  • She crossed over to the steel sinks of the lab module, carefully holding the ophidian probe away from her.

    Forever Free Haldeman, Joe 1999

Comments

Log in or sign up to get involved in the conversation. It's quick and easy.

  • Annette would occasionally curb with an opaque, almost ophidian, look, her mother's volubility.

    --Vladimir Nabokov, 1974, Look at the Harlequins!‎ p. 112

    June 13, 2009