viper
[ vahy-per ]
/ ˈvaɪ pər /
noun
Idioms for viper
to nourish a viper in one's bosom,
to befriend a person who proves to be treacherous.
Origin of viper
1520–30; < Latin
vīpera, haplological variant of
*vīvipera, noun use of feminine of
*vīviper, later (as re-formation)
vīviparus
viviparous
OTHER WORDS FROM viper
vi·per·ish, adjective vi·per·ish·ly, adverbWords nearby viper
violone,
viomycin,
viosterol,
viotti,
vip,
viper,
viper in one's bosom,
viper's bugloss,
viperfish,
viperine,
viperous
Example sentences from the Web for viper
British Dictionary definitions for viper
viper
/ (ˈvaɪpə) /
noun
any venomous Old World snake of the family Viperidae, esp any of the genus Vipera (the adder and related forms), having hollow fangs in the upper jaw that are used to inject venom
any of various other snakes, such as the horned viper
See pit viper
a malicious or treacherous person
Derived forms of viper
viper-like, adjectiveWord Origin for viper
C16: from Latin
vīpera, perhaps from
vīvus living +
parere to bear, referring to a tradition that the viper was viviparous