serpentine

serpentine
serpentine1
/serr"peuhn teen', -tuyn'/, adj., n., v., serpentined, serpentining.
adj.
1. of, characteristic of, or resembling a serpent, as in form or movement.
2. having a winding course, as a road; sinuous.
3. shrewd, wily, or cunning.
n.
4. a device on a harquebus lock for holding the match.
5. a cannon having any of various bore sizes, used from the 15th to the 17th century.
6. Skating. a school figure made by skating two figure eights that share one loop.
v.i.
7. to make or follow a winding course: The stream serpentines through the valley.
[1350-1400; ME (adj.) < L serpentinus snakelike, equiv. to serpent- SERPENT + -inus INE1]
Syn. 2. twisting, snaking, tortuous.
serpentine2
/serr"peuhn teen', -tuyn'/, n.
a common mineral, hydrous magnesium silicate, H2Mg3Si2O2, usually oily green and sometimes spotted, occurring in many varieties: used for architectural and decorative purposes.
[1350-1400; ME serpentyn < ML serpentinum, n. use. of neut. of serpentinus SERPENTINE1]

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Any of a group of magnesium-rich silicate minerals whose composition resembles Mg3Si2O5(OH)4.

Serpentine generally occurs in three forms: as chrysotile, the most common variety of asbestos; and as antigorite or lizardite, both of which are commonly massive and fine-grained. Named in allusion to its resemblance to a snake's skin, serpentine is usually grayish, white, or green but may be yellow or green-blue. It takes a high polish and is sometimes used as an ornamental stone.

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      any of a group of hydrous magnesium-rich silicate minerals. The composition of these common rock-forming minerals approximates Mg3Si2O5(OH)4. Serpentine generally occurs in three polymorphs: chrysotile (q.v.), a fibrous variety used as asbestos; antigorite, a variety occurring in either corrugated plates or fibres; and lizardite, a very fine-grained, platy variety. Named in allusion to its resemblance to a snake's skin, serpentine is usually grayish, white, or green but may be yellow (chrysotile) or green-blue (antigorite); the green colour is due to iron replacing magnesium.

      Serpentine is formed below 500° C (930° F) by the addition of water and sometimes silica to various magnesium silicates, e.g., forsterite or enstatite. It characteristically occurs along the crests and axes of great folds, such as island arcs or Alpine mountain chains. Typical occurrences are in altered peridotites, dunites, or pyroxenites; serpentinite is a rock consisting largely of serpentine. Serpentine takes a high polish and is sometimes used as an ornamental stone.

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Universalium. 2010.

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Look at other dictionaries:

  • serpentine — [ sɛrpɑ̃tin ] n. f. • XIIIe; de serpentin ♦ Minér. Roche métamorphique (silicates de magnésium) dont la masse vert sombre est traversée de petits filons fibreux. serpentine estragon [ ɛstragɔ̃ ] n. m. • 1601; estargon 1564; altér. de targon… …   Encyclopédie Universelle

  • serpentine — 1. (sèr pan ti n ) s. f. Figure de manége : les cavaliers marchant de file décrivent une ligne sinueuse analogue à la sinusoïde. serpentine 2. (sèr pan ti n ) s. f. Ancienne bouche à feu dont la volée était vissée sur la culasse.    Demi… …   Dictionnaire de la Langue Française d'Émile Littré

  • Serpentine — Ser pen*tine, n. [Cf. (for sense 1) F. serpentine, (for sense 2) serpentin.] 1. (Min.) A mineral or rock consisting chiefly of the hydrous silicate of magnesia. It is usually of an obscure green color, often with a spotted or mottled appearance… …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • Serpentine — Ser pen*tine, a. [L. serpentinus: cf. F. serpentin.] Resembling a serpent; having the shape or qualities of a serpent; subtle; winding or turning one way and the other, like a moving serpent; anfractuous; meandering; sinuous; zigzag; as,… …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • Serpentine — Sf schlangenförmiger Weg an Bergen erw. fach. (19. Jh.) Neoklassische Bildung. Neubildung zu l. serpentīnus Schlangen betreffend, wie Schlangen , zu l. serpēns ( entis) Schlange , dem substantivierten PPräs. von l. serpere kriechen, schleichen .… …   Etymologisches Wörterbuch der deutschen sprache

  • Serpentine — the Serpentine a lake in ↑Hyde Park in London …   Dictionary of contemporary English

  • serpentine — Serpentine, Piece d artillerie. Serpentine à distiller l eau de vie …   Thresor de la langue françoyse

  • Serpentine — Ser pen*tine, v. i. To serpentize. [R.] Lyttleton. [1913 Webster] …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • Serpentine — Serpentine, die schlangenförmige Krümmung eines Flusses od. Kanals; daher: Serpentiren, in dieser Richtung laufen …   Pierer's Universal-Lexikon

  • Serpentine — (franz.), »Schlangenlinie«, Weg in Schlangenlinie an Berghängen; im 16. u. 17. Jahrh. Name einer Art bis 40 Kaliber langer leichter Geschütze (Schlangen), auch des Hahnes mit Schlangenkopf an Handfeuerwaffen …   Meyers Großes Konversations-Lexikon

  • Serpentine — (Schlangenwindung), eine scharfe, mehr oder weniger eine halbe Umdrehung ausmachende Krümmung eines Wasserlaufes …   Lexikon der gesamten Technik

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