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viper

Pronunciation: /ˈvʌɪpə/
Translate viper | into French | into German | into Italian | into Spanish
Definition of viper

noun

  • a venomous snake with large hinged fangs, typically having a broad head and stout body, with dark patterns on a lighter background.
  • a spiteful or treacherous person.

Phrases

viper in one's bosom

a person whom one has supported but now behaves treacherously towards one.

Derivatives

viperine

Pronunciation: /-rʌɪn/
adjective

viperish

adjective

viperous

adjective

Origin:

early 16th century: from French vipère or Latin vipera, from vivus 'alive' + parere 'bring forth'

viper in other Oxford dictionaries

Definition of viper in the US English dictionary