Emily Dickinson Lexicon

SER'PENT, n. [L. serpens, creeping; serpo, to creep. Qu. Gr. ερπω; or from a root in Sr. In Welsh, sarf, a serpent, seems to be from sâr. The Sanscrit has the word sarpa, serpent.]

1. Ophidian reptiles without feet. Their bodies are extremely elongated, and move by means of the folds they form when in contact with the ground. Their hearts have two auricles. This is the widest use of the term serpent. This term is likewise applied to a family of ophidian reptiles, which comprises all the genera without a sternum, and without any vestige of a shoulder, &c.
2. In astronomy, a constellation in the northern hemisphere, containing, according to the British catalogue, sixty-four stars.
3. An instrument of music, serving as a base to the cornet or small shawm, to sustain a chorus of singers in a large edifice. It is so called from its folds or wreaths. – Encyc.
4. Figuratively, a subtil or malicious person.
5. In mythology, a symbol of the sun. Serpent stones or snake stones, are fossil shells of different sizes, found in strata of stones and clays. Encyc.