n.
鹭鹰

Serpent \Ser"pent\, n. [F., fr. L. serpens, -entis (sc. bestia),
fr. serpens, p. pr. of serpere to creep; akin to Gr. ???,
Skr. sarp, and perhaps to L. repere, E. reptile. Cf.
{Herpes}.]
1. (Zo["o]l.) Any reptile of the order Ophidia; a snake,
especially a large snake. See Illust. under {Ophidia}.

Note: The serpents are mostly long and slender, and move
partly by bending the body into undulations or folds
and pressing them against objects, and partly by using
the free edges of their ventral scales to cling to
rough surfaces. Many species glide swiftly over the
ground, some burrow in the earth, others live in trees.
A few are entirely aquatic, and swim rapidly. See
{Ophidia}, and {Fang}.

2. Fig.: A subtle, treacherous, malicious person.

3. A species of firework having a serpentine motion as it
passess through the air or along the ground.

4. (Astron.) The constellation Serpens.

5. (Mus.) A bass wind instrument, of a loud and coarse tone,
formerly much used in military bands, and sometimes
introduced into the orchestra; -- so called from its form.

{Pharaoh's serpent} (Chem.), mercuric sulphocyanate, a
combustible white substance which in burning gives off a
poisonous vapor and leaves a peculiar brown voluminous
residue which is expelled in a serpentine from. It is
employed as a scientific toy.

{Serpent cucumber} (Bot.), the long, slender, serpentine
fruit of the cucurbitaceous plant {Trichosanthes
colubrina}; also, the plant itself.

{Serpent eage} (Zo["o]l.), any one of several species of
raptorial birds of the genera {Circa["e]tus} and
{Spilornis}, which prey on serpents. They inhabit Africa,
Southern Europe, and India. The European serpent eagle is
{Circa["e]tus Gallicus}.

{Serpent eater}. (Zo["o]l.)
(a) The secretary bird.
(b) An Asiatic antelope; the markhoor.

{Serpent fish} (Zo["o]l.), a fish ({Cepola rubescens}) with a
long, thin, compressed body, and a band of red running
lengthwise.

{Serpent star} (Zo["o]l.), an ophiuran; a brittle star.

{Serpent's tongue} (Paleon.), the fossil tooth of a shark; --
so called from its resemblance to a tongue with its root.


{Serpent withe} (Bot.), a West Indian climbing plant
({Aristolochia odoratissima}).

{Tree serpent} (Zo["o]l.), any species of African serpents
belonging to the family {Dendrophid[ae]}.

Secretary \Sec"re*ta*ry\, n.; pl. {Secretaries}. [F.
secr['e]taire (cf. Pr. secretari, Sp. & Pg. secretario, It.
secretario, segretario) LL. secretarius, originally, a
confidant, one intrusted with secrets, from L. secretum a
secret. See {Secret}, a. & n.]
1. One who keeps, or is intrusted with, secrets. [R.]

2. A person employed to write orders, letters, dispatches,
public or private papers, records, and the like; an
official scribe, amanuensis, or writer; one who attends to
correspondence, and transacts other business, for an
association, a public body, or an individual.

That which is most of all profitable is acquaintance
with the secretaries, and employed men of
ambassadors. --Bacon.

3. An officer of state whose business is to superintend and
manage the affairs of a particular department of
government, and who is usually a member of the cabinet or
advisory council of the chief executive; as, the secretary
of state, who conducts the correspondence and attends to
the relations of a government with foreign courts; the
secretary of the treasury, who manages the department of
finance; the secretary of war, etc.

4. A piece of furniture, with conveniences for writing and
for the arrangement of papers; an escritoire.

5. (Zo["o]l.) The secretary bird.

{Secretary bird}. [So called in allusion to the tufts of
feathers at the back of its head, which were fancifully
thought to resemble pens stuck behind the ear.] (Zo["o]l.)
A large long-legged raptorial bird ({Gypogeranus
serpentarius}), native of South Africa, but now
naturalized in the West Indies and some other tropical
countries. It has a powerful hooked beak, a crest of long
feathers, and a long tail. It feeds upon reptiles of
various kinds, and is much prized on account of its habit
of killing and devouring snakes of all kinds. Called also
{serpent eater}.

Syn: See the Note under {Clerk}, n., 4.