Make Your Point > Archived Issues > SERPENTINE

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connect today's word to others: Things that twist back and forth, like a snake or serpent, are serpentine. Do you find that image lovely, or does it give you the shudders? If serpentine isn't your word, here are some synonyms:   From a Latin word for "twisting or winding," we have to_____.     And from the name of a river in Turkey, we have me_____ing. (To reveal any word with blanks, give it a click.) make your point with... "SERPENTINE" Something serpentine reminds you of a serpent (a snake), usually because it moves like a snake or because it curves from side to side. Pronunciation: Either "SUR pun tine" or "SUR pun teen." Both ways are correct. Part of speech: Adjective. (Adjectives are describing words, like "large" or "late." They can be used in two ways: 1. Right before a noun, as in "a serpentine thing." 2. After a linking verb, as in "It was serpentine.") Other forms: The adverb is "serpentinely." It's rare, but you can use "serpentine" as a verb: "the path serpentined into the forest," "his thoughts serpentined around the issues." (I'm not a fan of this; it sounds awkward.) How to use it: Although "serpentine" can simply be descriptive--you can point out serpentine paths and serpentine rivers--it can definitely carry a tone that's evil, creepy, cunning, and threatening. We're referring to serpents, after all, which instantly remind most of us of the diabolical one from the bible, or at least its echoes throughout popular culture (in stories like "Rikki-Tikki-Tavi" and Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets). We can talk about serpentine things that are concrete: serpentine creeks, rivers, paths, roads, and gardens; serpentine lines and queues; serpentine courses and patterns; serpentine movements and directions and wandering; serpentine bodies and beauty. Or, we can get abstract: serpentine thoughts and wondering; serpentine stories, accounts and reports; serpentine processes and paperwork. So far we've said that serpentine things move like snakes or are shaped like snakes. But you can also call people serpentine and mean that they're sly, sneaky, devious, dangerous, etc. "I shied away from the serpentine glare in his eyes." examples: At the bottom of the hill where the serpentine road whips to the left, the only thing separating the traveler from the dark lake is a rinky-dink guard rail. We grew suspicious when the stranger slid immediately into a serpentine account of where he'd been and where he needed to go. study it now: Look away from the screen to explain the definition in your own words. You’ll know you understand what "serpentine" means when you can explain it without saying "snakelike" or "sly." try it out: Fill in the blank: "(Realizing, wondering about, or thinking about something creepy), I flinched, as if the thought had glided serpentinely past my mind." Example: "Realizing that one visible centipede might mean fifty hidden ones, I flinched, as if the thought had glided serpentinely past my mind." before you review: Spend at least 20 seconds occupying your mind with the game below. Then try the review questions. Don’t go straight to the review now—let your working memory empty out first. This month, we're playing with The Devil’s Dictionary by Ambrose Bierce. It's a collection of silly, sarcastic, satirical definitions of everyday words, and--lucky us!--it's in the public domain. In each issue this month, I'll give you one of Bierce's definitions and, if it's a tough one, I'll give you the word's first letter. And you try to come up with the word. From our previous issue: Bierce defines it as "a permanent topic of conversation among persons whom it does not interest, but who have inherited the tendency to chatter about it from naked arboreal ancestors whom it keenly concerned." It's a noun. It starts with W. What is it? Answer: Weather. Try this today: Bierce defines it as "[someone] skilled in circumvention of the law." It's a noun. It starts with L. What is it? review today's word: 1. One opposite of SERPENTINE is A. DIRECT B. ENERGETIC C. MASTERFUL 2. In serpentine lines, the sparkling color _____ across the stone. A. gamboled B. coiled and uncoiled C. darted and blossomed Answers are below. a final word: Make Your Point is crafted with love and brought to you each weekday morning by Liesl Johnson, a reading and writing tutor on a mission to explore, illuminate, and celebrate words. From Liesl's blog:    36 ways to study words.    Why we forget words, & how to remember them.    How to use sophisticated words without being awkward. To be a sponsor and include your ad in an issue, please contact me at Liesl@HiloTutor.com. Disclaimer: When I write definitions, I use plain language and stick to the words' common, useful applications. If you're interested in authoritative and multiple definitions of words, I encourage you to check a dictionary. Also, because I'm American, I stick to American English when I share words' meanings, usage, and pronunciations; these elements sometimes vary across world Englishes. Answers to review questions: 1. A 2. B