Plural of serpent; large snakes, or snakes in general, often with symbolic or mythical meanings.
From Latin 'serpens,' the present participle of 'serpere' (to crawl or creep). The word spread across European languages and took on mythological significance in religious and literary contexts.
Serpents appear in nearly every culture's mythology—the Garden of Eden, Norse mythology, Aztec gods—and scientists think humans' fear of snakes is hardwired from when our ancestors had to watch for them on the African savanna, making the serpent one of humanity's oldest symbols.
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