verbthird conjugation, no passive
serpō
serpō (present infinitive serpere, perfect active serpsī, supine serptum)
Classical[ˈsɛr.poː]Ecclesiastical[ˈsɛr.po]
Meaning
- to creep, crawl, move slowly (of an animal)
- figurativelyto move slowly or imperceptibly, to creep in or along, proceed gradually, to spread (of a thing or situation)
“Tempus erat quō prīma quiēs mortālibus aegrīs
“It was the time when the first rest for careworn mortals begins, and as a gift of the gods it creeps in most pleasantly.” (The irony of “incipit” and “serpit”: As the weary Trojans rest, Greek soldiers “creep” from the wooden horse; the nighttime attack “begins”.)29 BCE – 19 BCE, Vergilius, Aeneis 2.268–269 - to spread
Cumque ignis magnitudine venti latius serperet, [...]
As the fire spread more and more, given favourable wind, …c. 48 BCE, Julius Caesar, Commentarii de bello civili 3.101
Latīnē defined in Latin in our graded readers
ut anguis lāborserpō -ere — in IVLIANVS II: Imperium, ch. 8
Choosing the right word Döderlein's Latin Synonyms
Repere · Serpere · Serpens · Anguis · Coluber
1. Repere means, with small feet and short steps, to move slowly along, to creep; whereas serpere, without feet, by merely twisting the whole body, and without noise to move forward, to creep on the belly. 2. Serpens (ἕρπων) is the general name for whatever creeps like a snake, like ἑρπετόν; anguis (ἔγχος, ἔγχελυς?) is a great formidable snake, ὄφις; coluber (ἀσκάλαφος) a small, spiteful snake, ἔχις, ἔχιδνα. (v. 341.)
Conjugation conjugation 3
| form | present | imperfect | future | perfect | pluperfect | fut. perfect |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1st sg. | serpō | serpēbam | serpam | serpsī | serpseram | serpserō |
| 2nd sg. | serpis | serpēbās | serpēs | serpsistī | serpserās | serpseris |
| 3rd sg. | serpit | serpēbat | serpet | serpsit | serpserat | serpserit |
| 1st pl. | serpimus | serpēbāmus | serpēmus | serpsimus | serpserāmus | serpserimus |
| 2nd pl. | serpitis | serpēbātis | serpētis | serpsistis | serpserātis | serpseritis |
| 3rd pl. | serpunt | serpēbant | serpent | serpsērunt serpsēre | serpserant | serpserint |
active subjunctive
| form | present | imperfect | perfect | pluperfect |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1st sg. | serpam | serperem | serpserim | serpsissem |
| 2nd sg. | serpās | serperēs | serpserīs | serpsissēs |
| 3rd sg. | serpat | serperet | serpserit | serpsisset |
| 1st pl. | serpāmus | serperēmus | serpserīmus | serpsissēmus |
| 2nd pl. | serpātis | serperētis | serpserītis | serpsissētis |
| 3rd pl. | serpant | serperent | serpserint | serpsissent |
imperative
| form | active | passive |
|---|---|---|
| pres. 2nd sg. | serpe | — |
| pres. 2nd pl. | serpite | — |
| fut. 2nd sg. | serpitō | — |
| fut. 3rd sg. | serpitō | — |
| fut. 2nd pl. | serpitōte | — |
| fut. 3rd pl. | serpuntō | — |
infinitives & participles
| form | active | passive |
|---|---|---|
| present infinitive | serpere | — |
| perfect infinitive | serpsisse | — |
| future infinitive | serptūrum esse | — |
| present participle | serpēns | — |
| future participle | serptūrus | — |
gerundserpendī, serpendō, serpendumsupineserptum, serptū
Phrases from Meissner's Latin Phrase-Book
- fama serpit (per urbem)
- a report is spreading imperceptibly.
serpo, psi, ptum, 3 (serpsit antiqui pro serpserit usi sunt, Fest. p. 348 Müll.), v. n. root serp, kindr. with ἕρπω, repo,
I. to creep, crawl (freq. and class.).
I. Lit. (only of animals; while repo is also used of persons who creep or go slowly;
v. repo, I.): serpere anguiculos, nare anaticulas, evolare merulas, etc., Cic. Fin. 5, 15, 42: alia animalia gradiendo, alia serpendo ad pastum accedunt, id. N. D. 2, 47, 122: serpentes quasdam (bestias), quasdam esse gradientes, id. Tusc. 5, 13, 38: (anguis) per humum, Ov. M. 15, 689: vipera imā humo, id. P. 3, 3, 102: draco In platanum, id. M. 12, 13: serpentia secla ferarum, i. e. the serpents, Lucr. 6, 766.—In late Lat. pass.: cum terra nullo serpatur angue, was crawled over, Sol. 22, 10.—B. Transf., of things, to move slowly or imperceptibly, to creep along, proceed gradually, etc. (mostly poet.):
has (stellas) inter, torvus Draco serpit, Cic. poët. N. D. 2, 42, 106: sol serpens, Lucr. 5, 690.— Of streams: an te, Cydne, canam, qui leniter ... placidis per vada serpis aquis, creepest, windest along, Tib. 1, 7, 14: in freta vicina Numicius, Ov. M. 14, 598: Ister tectis in mare serpit aquis, id. Tr. 3, 10, 30: in sicco serpentem pulvere rivum, Luc. 9, 974: lacrimae serpunt per vulnera, Stat. Th. 11, 608: exsistit sacer ignis et urit corpore serpens, slowly spreading, Lucr. 6, 660; so, flamma per continua, Liv. 30, 6: aestus aetheris, Lucr. 5, 523; 6, 1120 (with repere): fallacem patriae serpere dixit equum (Trojanum), was creeping along, Prop. 3, 13 (4, 12), 64.—Of plants: vitis serpens multiplici lapsu et erratico, Cic. Sen. 15, 52; cf.: lithospermos (herba) jacet atque serpit humi, Plin. 27, 11, 74, § 99; so, chamaeleon, id. 22, 18, 21, § 45; cf.: liber per colla, Ov. M. 9, 389: caules per terram, Plin. 21, 16, 59, § 99: rami in terram, id. 27, 9, 58, § 82: radices inter se, id. 17, 20, 33, § 144: sine tempora circum Inter victrices hederam tibi serpere lauros, Verg. E. 8, 13; Laber. ap Macr. S. 2, 7; Col. 10, 119.—Of the growth of the hair: per tua lanugo cum serpere coeperit ora, Claud. IV. Cons. Hon. 641.—Of fire: dein per continua serpens (flamma) omnia incendio hausit, Liv. 30, 6: sive ipsi (ignes) serpere possunt quo cibus vocat, Lucr. 5, 523; cf. id. 6, 660.—Of disease, etc.: si ulcus latius atque altius serpit, gradually spreads, Cels. 6, 18, 2 med.: dira contagia per vulgus, Verg. G. 3, 469: cancer, Ov. M. 2, 826: carcinoma, Plin. 29, 2, 10, § 37: atra lues in vultus, Mart. 1, 79, 2 al.: per membra senectus, Lucr. 1, 415: quies, Verg. A. 2, 269: somnus, Plin. 7, 24, 24, § 90.—II. Trop., to creep, crawl; to extend gradually or imperceptibly; to spread abroad, increase, prevail (a favorite trope of Cic.):
neque enim serpit, sed volat in optimum statum res publica, Cic. Rep. 2, 18, 33: serpere occulte coepisti nihil dum aliis suspicantibus, id. de Or. 2, 50, 203: (hoc malum) obscure serpens multas jam provincias occupavit, id. Cat. 4, 3, 6: malum longius, id. Rab. Post. 6, 15; id. Phil. 1, 2, 5; id. Att. 1, 13, 3; id. de Or. 3, 24, 94: serpit deinde res, id. Lael. 12, 41; cf.: ne latius serperet res, Liv. 28, 15 fin.; so, latius, id. 40, 19 fin.; cf. Plin. Ep. 5, 4, 3: serpit nescio quo modo per omnium vitas amicitia, Cic. Lael. 23, 87: si semel suscipimus genus hoc argumenti, attende quo serpat, id. N. D. 1, 35, 98; 3, 20, 52: quam facile serpat injuria et peccandi consuetudo, Cic. Verr. 2, 2, 22, § 53; cf. id. Div. in Caecil. 21, 68: serpit hic rumor, id. Mur. 21, 45: fama per coloniam, Plin. Ep. 9, 33, 5: per agmina murmur, Verg. A. 12, 239: murmura plebis, Stat. Th. 1, 168: cura altius, Plin. 14, 11, 13, § 87: serpente latius bello, Flor. 2, 2, 15; 2, 9, 4.—Of a low, grovelling poetic style: (poëta) Serpit humi tutus, crawls along the earth, Hor. A. P. 28 (cf.: sermones Repentes per humum, id. Ep. 2, 1, 251).—Hence, serpens, entis (gen. plur. serpentium, Vitr. 8, 4; 9, 6; Nep. Hann. 11, 5; Hor. Epod. 1, 20; Cels. 5, 27, 3; but also, mostly poet. and later, serpentum, Verg. A. 8, 436; 12, 848; Ov. M. 7, 534; Luc. 9, 608 al.), f. (sc. bestia); less freq. and mostly poet. and eccl. Lat., m. (sc. draco), a creeping thing, a creeper, crawler (cf. reptilis). A. Κατʼ ἐξοχήν, i. e. a snake, serpent (syn.: anguis, coluber); fem.:
quaedam serpentes ortae extra aquam, etc., Cic. N. D. 2, 48, 124; Lucr. 4, 60; 4, 638; Ov. M. 1, 447; 1, 454; 2, 652; id. Am. 2, 13, 13; Hor. C. 1, 37, 27; Luc. 9, 397; Nep. Hann. 10, 4 al.— Masc., Lucr. 5, 33; Verg. A. 2, 214; 5, 273; 11, 753; Ov. M. 3, 38; 3, 325; 4, 570; Hor. S. 1, 3, 27; Luc. 9, 324; cf. Sall. J. 89, 5, and Quint. 2, 4, 19: igniti, Vulg. Num. 21, 6.— In apposition with draco, Suet. Tib. 72.— Also neutr. plur. serpentia, Vulg. Act. 10, 12. —2. Transf., the Serpent, as a constellation.
b. In the hand of Ophiuchus (Anguitenens, Anguifer), = anguis, Vitr. 9, 6; Hyg. Astr. 2, 14; 3, 13; cf. Plin. 2, 25, 23, § 93.—
B. A creeping insect on the human body, a louse, Plin. 7, 51, 52, § 172; App. Flor. p. 354, 4.
Charlton Lewis's shorter dictionary for students: the same scholarship in plain, modern definitions.
serpō psī, ptus, ere
SERP-, to creep, crawl (of animals): serpere anguiculos: animalia, alia serpendo ad pastum accedunt: imā vipera humo, O.: draco In platanum, O.—Of things, to move slowly, pass imperceptibly, creep along, proceed gradually : Ister tectis in mare serpit aquis, O.: vitis serpens multiplici lapsu: tempora circum hederam tibi serpere, V.: cancer, O.—Fig., to creep, crawl, extend gradually, grow imperceptibly, m<*>e way stealthily, spread abroad, increase, prevail : <*>eque enim serpit, sed volat in optimum statum res p.: serpet hoc malum longius quam putatis: ne latius serperet res, L.: serpit hic rumor: per agmina murmur, V.—Rarely of a person: serpere occulte coepisti nihil dum aliis suspicantibus.—Of style, to crawl, be low : (poëta) Serpit humi tutus, H.
Origins
From Proto-Italic *serpō, from Proto-Indo-European *sérpeti (“to creep, crawl”). Cognate with Sanskrit सर्पति (sarpati, “to glide, crawl”), Ancient Greek ἕρπω (hérpō).
Descendants
- Italianserpere
In English words that came into English from serpō
- serpentserpēns
- serpentineserpentīnus
- serpentiformserpens
- serpentariaserpentāria