viper en · NOUN
Pronunciation
- (US) audio
- /ˈvaɪpɚ/ (General-American)
Etymology
From Middle French vipere, from Old French vipre, from Latin vīpera, contracted from vīvipara f (“viviparous”, adj.), from vīvus (“alive”, adj.) + parere (“to bear”, verb). Doublet of weever and wyvern.
Meanings
- A venomous snake in the family Viperidae.
- (informal) Any venomous snake.
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(figuratively) A dangerous, treacherous, or malignant person.
Consider, for the love of Heaven, to what you run madly: will you take this viper into your bed?
1879, Francis Beaumont, The Works of Beaumont and Fletcher: The Text Formed from a New Collation of the Early Editions, Volume 1, D. Appleton, page 350:Then there's the heterosexual, open-mined ^([sic]) entourage who loves us dearly and are our best friends. They laugh at our humor and understand our sorrow. For they are rare and unique in prison. But the vipers always ruin things. They refer to our straight friends as "Closet-Cases," "Undercovers," and "Flip-Floppers."
1990 December 16, Gianni Comes, “Not Just Homophobia”, in Gay Community News, volume 18, number 22, page 4:And aggravate my folly who committed / To ſuch a viper his moſt ſacred truſt / Of ſecreſie, my ſafety, and my life.
1671, John Milton, “Samson Agonistes, […].”, in Paradise Regain’d. A Poem. In IV Books. To which is Added, Samson Agonistes, London: […] J[ohn] M[acock] for John Starkey […], →OCLC, page 62:
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(slang) A person who smokes marijuana.
Dreamed about a reefer five feet long / Mighty Mezz, but not too strong / You'll be high but not for long / If you're a viper
a. 1936, Stuff Smith, “If You're a Viper”:
Forms
| Spelling | Features | Labels | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| vipers | Number=Plur | lexicographic |
Deriveds
viperoid · viperfish · viperess · eyelash bush viper · spider-tailed horned viper · viperling · chain viper · pitless viper · Gabon viper · viper's grass · vipery · shore pit viper · red viper · temple viper · green pit viper · viper's bugloss · Nikolsky's viper · gaboon viper · saw-scaled viper · nourish a viper in one's bosom · horned viper · viperish · Russell's viper venom clotting time · sand viper · carpet viper · Gaboon viper · blunt-nosed viper · viperiform · Russell's viper · pit viper · eyelash viper · Russell's viper venom time · viperlike · viperous · lowlands hump-nosed pit viper · dilute Russell's viper venom time
Synonyms
Translations (93)
izh jaadumato (a poisonous snake in the family Viperidae) · lv odze (a poisonous snake in the family Viperidae) · pl żmija (a poisonous snake in the family Viperidae) · gl víbora (a poisonous snake in the family Viperidae) · fi kyy (a poisonous snake in the family Viperidae) · bg пепеля́нка (a poisonous snake in the family Viperidae) · sq shlligë (a poisonous snake in the family Viperidae) · fur lipare (a poisonous snake in the family Viperidae) · ny mphiri (a poisonous snake in the family Viperidae) · ist beîpara (a poisonous snake in the family Viperidae) · es timbo (a poisonous snake in the family Viperidae) · grc ἔχιδνα (a poisonous snake in the family Viperidae) · frp vipèra (a poisonous snake in the family Viperidae) · ar أَفْعًى (a poisonous snake in the family Viperidae) · ja クサリヘビ (a poisonous snake in the family Viperidae) · fr vipère (a poisonous snake in the family Viperidae) · tr engerek (a poisonous snake in the family Viperidae) · sa पृदाकु (a poisonous snake in the family Viperidae) · ja 鎖蛇 (a poisonous snake in the family Viperidae) · eo vipuro (a poisonous snake in the family Viperidae) · no huggorm (a poisonous snake in the family Viperidae) · arc ܐܟܕܢܐ (a poisonous snake in the family Viperidae) · lt angis (a poisonous snake in the family Viperidae) · hu vipera (a poisonous snake in the family Viperidae) · ga nathair (a poisonous snake in the family Viperidae) · ja 毒蛇 (a poisonous snake in the family Viperidae) · ka გველი (a poisonous snake in the family Viperidae) · nds Adder (a poisonous snake in the family Viperidae) · fur vipare (a poisonous snake in the family Viperidae) · ca escurçó (a poisonous snake in the family Viperidae) · io vipero (a poisonous snake in the family Viperidae) · mk отровница (a poisonous snake in the family Viperidae) · enm vipera (a poisonous snake in the family Viperidae) · mt lifgħa (a poisonous snake in the family Viperidae) · nds Kriizadder (a poisonous snake in the family Viperidae) · fa گرزهمار (a poisonous snake in the family Viperidae) · pt víbora (a poisonous snake in the family Viperidae) · cs zmije (a poisonous snake in the family Viperidae) · ru гадю́ка (a poisonous snake in the family Viperidae) · az gürzə (a poisonous snake in the family Viperidae) · el έχιδνα (a poisonous snake in the family Viperidae) · fy njirre (a poisonous snake in the family Viperidae) · ro viperă (a poisonous snake in the family Viperidae) · izh gadjukka (a poisonous snake in the family Viperidae) · cy gwiber (a poisonous snake in the family Viperidae) · he צפע (a poisonous snake in the family Viperidae) · is höggormur (a poisonous snake in the family Viperidae) · egx-dem fꜣy (fay) (a poisonous snake in the family Viperidae) · sq nepërkë (a poisonous snake in the family Viperidae) · de Otter (a poisonous snake in the family Viperidae) · fa گرزه (a poisonous snake in the family Viperidae) · fi kyykäärme (a poisonous snake in the family Viperidae) · nds Krüüzadder (a poisonous snake in the family Viperidae) · tl ulupong (a poisonous snake in the family Viperidae) · it vipera (a poisonous snake in the family Viperidae) · cmn 蝰蛇 (a poisonous snake in the family Viperidae) · rup vipirã (a poisonous snake in the family Viperidae) · bg усойница (a poisonous snake in the family Viperidae) · ka გველგესლა (a poisonous snake in the family Viperidae) · dlm carnoit (a poisonous snake in the family Viperidae) · ab а-хымаҭ (a poisonous snake in the family Viperidae) · de Kreuzotter (a poisonous snake in the family Viperidae) · sv huggorm (a poisonous snake in the family Viperidae) · et rästik (a poisonous snake in the family Viperidae) · eo vipero (a poisonous snake in the family Viperidae) · txb arṣāklo (a poisonous snake in the family Viperidae) · nl adder (a poisonous snake in the family Viperidae) · cmn 毒蛇 (a poisonous snake in the family Viperidae) · frp crotâl (a poisonous snake in the family Viperidae) · ab а-маҭаԥшь (a poisonous snake in the family Viperidae) · el οχιά (a poisonous snake in the family Viperidae) · cy neidr ddu (a poisonous snake in the family Viperidae) · es víbora (a poisonous snake in the family Viperidae) · hy իժ (a poisonous snake in the family Viperidae) · arc אכדנא (a poisonous snake in the family Viperidae) · es tamagás (a poisonous snake in the family Viperidae) · id beludak (a poisonous snake in the family Viperidae) · ro năpârcă (a poisonous snake in the family Viperidae) · de Viper (a poisonous snake in the family Viperidae) · sl gad (a poisonous snake in the family Viperidae) · ny mphirimbedza (a poisonous snake in the family Viperidae) · izh kirjava mato (a poisonous snake in the family Viperidae) · hi वाइपर (a poisonous snake in the family Viperidae) · rm vipra (a poisonous snake in the family Viperidae) · be гадзю́ка (a poisonous snake in the family Viperidae) · lzz კანთხა (a poisonous snake in the family Viperidae) · ko 독사 (a poisonous snake in the family Viperidae) · la vipera (a poisonous snake in the family Viperidae) · pms vipra (a poisonous snake in the family Viperidae) · uk гадю́ка (a poisonous snake in the family Viperidae) · af adder (a poisonous snake in the family Viperidae) · sq rrëshajë (a poisonous snake in the family Viperidae) · dsb zmija (a poisonous snake in the family Viperidae)