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ophidian

Sayoh-FID-ee-unUS/oʊˈfɪdi.ən//əʊˈfɪdi.ən/

Noun pluralophidians

2 meanings of ophidian

Practice

  1. 1
    adjective
    Relating to snakes, the reptile suborder Serpentes, or having the qualities typical of a snake or serpent.

    The villain's ophidian smile and unblinking stare unsettled everyone at the table.

    Fossil vertebrae from the site shed new light on early ophidian anatomy.

    Similarsnakelike, serpentine, reptilian

    Note

    The adjective leads two lives. In zoology it is neutral, as in ophidian evolution or anatomy. In fiction and description it turns figurative and takes degrees, more or most ophidian, lending a creature, a smile or a stare something cold and reptilian. Writing on myth uses it for serpent gods, such as the Feathered Serpent, Kukulcán to the Maya.

    Checked 31 Oct 2026 · 1 fact

    • The Feathered Serpent is a deity known among the Maya as Kukulcán. menil.org
  2. 2
    nouncountable
    A snake or serpent: any species belonging to the suborder Serpentes.
    Vertebral structure is critical for the identification of fossil snakes, because vertebrae are among the most easily fossilized parts of ophidians.
    1997, Olivier Rieppel, In the Shadow of the Dinosaurs
    Siamese or double monsters are well known in saurians, chelonians, and ophidians, as are bicephalic, two-tailed and conjoined bodies (thoracodymus, ischiodymus, etc.).
    2012, Bruce M. Rothschild, Hans-Peter Schultze

    Similarsnake, serpent

    Note

    Greek óphis, "snake," lies behind this learned name, which lives mainly in zoology and paleontology. There it keeps company with saurians (lizards) and chelonians (turtles), and in writing on fossil vertebrae or lost embryonic limbs it serves as the formal counterpart of snake. Outside such writing, snake or serpent is the ordinary choice.

    Checked 31 Oct 2026 · 3 facts

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Origin

From New Latin Ophidia, a zoological name for the snakes, + -ian. Ophidia is the plural of Ancient Greek ophídion, a diminutive of óphis, "snake."

Checked 1 Nov 2026 · 4 facts