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, adverb

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, adjective

Word Origin for viper

C16: from Latin vīpera, perhaps from vīvus living + parere to bear, referring to a tradition that the viper was viviparous