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|lshtext=<b>serpo</b>: psi, ptum, 3 (serpsit antiqui pro serpserit usi sunt, Fest. p. 348 Müll.), v. n. [[root]] serp, kindr. [[with]] [[ἕρπω]], [[repo]],<br /><b>I</b> to [[creep]], [[crawl]] (freq. and [[class]].).<br /><b>I</b> Lit. ([[only]] of animals; [[while]] [[repo]] is also used of persons [[who]] [[creep]] or go [[slowly]]; v. [[repo]], I.): serpere anguiculos, nare anaticulas, evolare merulas, etc., Cic. Fin. 5, 15, 42: [[alia]] animalia gradiendo, [[alia]] serpendo ad pastum accedunt, id. N. D. 2, 47, 122: serpentes quasdam (bestias), quasdam esse gradientes, id. Tusc. 5, 13, 38: ([[anguis]]) per humum, Ov. M. 15, 689: [[vipera]] imā [[humo]], id. P. 3, 3, 102: draco In platanum, id. M. 12, 13: serpentia secla ferarum, i. e. the serpents, Lucr. 6, 766.—In [[late]] Lat. [[pass]].: cum [[terra]] nullo serpatur angue, [[was]] crawled [[over]], Sol. 22, 10.—<br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;<b>B</b> Transf., of things, to [[move]] [[slowly]] or [[imperceptibly]], to [[creep]] [[along]], [[proceed]] [[gradually]], etc. ([[mostly]] [[poet]].): has (stellas) [[inter]], [[torvus]] [[Draco]] serpit, Cic. poët. N. D. 2, 42, 106: sol [[serpens]], Lucr. 5, 690.— Of streams: an te, Cydne, canam, qui [[leniter]] ... placidis per vada serpis aquis, creepest, windest [[along]], Tib. 1, 7, 14: in freta vicina [[Numicius]], Ov. M. 14, 598: [[Ister]] tectis in [[mare]] serpit aquis, id. Tr. 3, 10, 30: in [[sicco]] serpentem pulvere rivum, Luc. 9, 974: lacrimae serpunt per vulnera, Stat. Th. 11, 608: exsistit [[sacer]] [[ignis]] et urit corpore [[serpens]], [[slowly]] spreading, Lucr. 6, 660; so, [[flamma]] per continua, Liv. 30, 6: [[aestus]] aetheris, Lucr. 5, 523; 6, 1120 ([[with]] repere): fallacem patriae serpere dixit equum (Trojanum), [[was]] creeping [[along]], Prop. 3, 13 (4, 12), 64.—Of plants: [[vitis]] [[serpens]] multiplici lapsu et erratico, Cic. Sen. 15, 52; cf.: lithospermos ([[herba]]) jacet [[atque]] serpit [[humi]], Plin. 27, 11, 74, § 99; so, [[chamaeleon]], id. 22, 18, 21, § 45; cf.: [[liber]] per colla, Ov. M. 9, 389: caules per terram, Plin. 21, 16, 59, § 99: rami in terram, id. 27, 9, 58, § 82: radices [[inter]] se, id. 17, 20, 33, § 144: [[sine]] tempora [[circum]] Inter victrices hederam [[tibi]] serpere lauros, Verg. E. 8, 13; Laber. ap Macr. S. 2, 7; Col. 10, 119.—Of the [[growth]] of the [[hair]]: per tua [[lanugo]] cum serpere coeperit ora, Claud. IV. Cons. Hon. 641.—Of [[fire]]: [[dein]] per continua [[serpens]] ([[flamma]]) omnia incendio hausit, Liv. 30, 6: [[sive]] ipsi (ignes) serpere possunt quo [[cibus]] vocat, Lucr. 5, 523; cf. id. 6, 660.—Of [[disease]], etc.: si [[ulcus]] latius [[atque]] altius serpit, [[gradually]] spreads, Cels. 6, 18, 2 med.: dira contagia per [[vulgus]], Verg. G. 3, 469: [[cancer]], Ov. M. 2, 826: [[carcinoma]], Plin. 29, 2, 10, § 37: atra [[lues]] in [[vultus]], Mart. 1, 79, 2 al.: per membra [[senectus]], Lucr. 1, 415: [[quies]], Verg. A. 2, 269: [[somnus]], Plin. 7, 24, 24, § 90.—<br /><b>II</b> Trop., to [[creep]], [[crawl]]; to [[extend]] [[gradually]] or [[imperceptibly]]; to [[spread]] [[abroad]], [[increase]], [[prevail]] (a favorite trope of Cic.): [[neque]] [[enim]] serpit, sed volat in optimum statum res publica, Cic. Rep. 2, 18, 33: serpere [[occulte]] coepisti [[nihil]] dum aliis suspicantibus, id. de Or. 2, 50, 203: (hoc [[malum]]) [[obscure]] [[serpens]] multas jam provincias occupavit, id. Cat. 4, 3, 6: [[malum]] longius, id. Rab. Post. 6, 15; id. Phil. 1, 2, 5; id. Att. 1, 13, 3; id. de Or. 3, 24, 94: serpit [[deinde]] res, id. Lael. 12, 41; cf.: ne latius serperet res, Liv. 28, 15 fin.; so, latius, id. 40, 19 fin.; cf. Plin. Ep. 5, 4, 3: serpit [[nescio]] quo [[modo]] per omnium vitas [[amicitia]], Cic. Lael. 23, 87: si [[semel]] suscipimus [[genus]] hoc argumenti, attende quo serpat, id. N. D. 1, 35, 98; 3, 20, 52: [[quam]] [[facile]] serpat injuria et peccandi [[consuetudo]], id. Verr. 2, 2, 22, § 53; cf. id. Div. in Caecil. 21, 68: serpit hic [[rumor]], id. Mur. 21, 45: [[fama]] per coloniam, Plin. Ep. 9, 33, 5: per agmina [[murmur]], Verg. A. 12, 239: murmura [[plebis]], Stat. Th. 1, 168: [[cura]] altius, Plin. 14, 11, 13, § 87: serpente latius [[bello]], Flor. 2, 2, 15; 2, 9, 4.—Of a [[low]], [[grovelling]] poetic [[style]]: (poëta) Serpit [[humi]] [[tutus]], crawls [[along]] the [[earth]], Hor. A. P. 28 (cf.: sermones Repentes per humum, id. Ep. 2, 1, 251).—Hence, [[serpens]], entis (gen. plur. serpentium, Vitr. 8, 4; 9, 6; Nep. Hann. 11, 5; Hor. Epod. 1, 20; Cels. 5, 27, 3; [[but]] also, [[mostly]] [[poet]]. and [[later]], serpentum, Verg. A. 8, 436; 12, 848; Ov. M. 7, 534; Luc. 9, 608 al.), f. (sc. [[bestia]]); [[less]] freq. and [[mostly]] [[poet]]. and eccl. Lat., m. (sc. draco), a creeping [[thing]], a creeper, crawler (cf. [[reptilis]]).<br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;<b>A</b> Κατ ἐξοχήν, i. e. a [[snake]], [[serpent]] (syn.: [[anguis]], [[coluber]]); fem.: quaedam serpentes ortae [[extra]] aquam, etc., Cic. N. D. 2, 48, 124; Lucr. 4, 60; 4, 638; Ov. M. 1, 447; 1, 454; 2, 652; id. Am. 2, 13, 13; Hor. C. 1, 37, 27; Luc. 9, 397; Nep. Hann. 10, 4 al.— Masc., Lucr. 5, 33; Verg. A. 2, 214; 5, 273; 11, 753; Ov. M. 3, 38; 3, 325; 4, 570; Hor. S. 1, 3, 27; Luc. 9, 324; cf. Sall. J. 89, 5, and Quint. 2, 4, 19: igniti, Vulg. Num. 21, 6.— In apposition [[with]] draco, Suet. Tib. 72.— Also neutr. plur. serpentia, Vulg. Act. 10, 12. —<br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;<b>2</b>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Transf., the Serpent, as a [[constellation]].<br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;<b>a</b> Between the Great and the Little Bear, = [[anguis]] and draco, Ov. M. 2, 173; Hyg. Astr. 3, 1.—<br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;<b>b</b> In the [[hand]] of [[Ophiuchus]] (Anguitenens, Anguifer), = [[anguis]], Vitr. 9, 6; Hyg. Astr. 2, 14; 3, 13; cf. Plin. 2, 25, 23, § 93.—<br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;<b>B</b> A creeping [[insect]] on the [[human]] [[body]], a [[louse]], Plin. 7, 51, 52, § 172; App. Flor. p. 354, 4.
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