serpere

serpere [CL] 1 to move on one's belly, crawl; b (transf., in quot. of a stream). c (pres. ppl. as sb. n. pl.) animals that move on their bellies or crawl, reptiles. saecularis ‥ sapientia quasi coluber per humum ~it, divina autem ‥ intonat Bede Luke 398C; incedere nullatenus poterat sed ‥ sub terre gremio bestiali more ~ebat R. Cold. Cuthb. 48; serpens ille tabidus, quem ‥ diximus latenter ‥ et angulatim ~isse ‥ exserit caput H. Bos. Thom. III 31; hi quidem serpentes blande ad humana pectora ~unt J. Ford Serm. 16. 7. b per cava telluris clam serpo celerrimus antra / ‥ girans Aldh. Aen. 73 (Fons) 1. c dies sextus, quo quadrupedia et ~entia producuntur e terra Ailr. Spec. Car. I 19. 522A; per Spiritum Sanctum ‥ aves volatu ‥ bestie, reptilia, ~entia gressu ‥ fulciuntur Hon. Spec. Eccl. 959B. 2 to gain ground gradually, spread; b (w. abstr. subj.). c to develop, change gradually. ~sitque venenum per omnia membra ejus Wulf. Æthelwold 19; quae more hereticarum adinventionum late ~it virulenta pestilentia Gosc. Lib. Mild. 22; morbus obliquii ab uno ~at in omnes W. Malm. GR II 201; sic mare dum superans tabulata per ultima serpit / mersit rege satos H. Hunt. HA VII 32; cum ‥ in corde hujusmodi ~ere sensisset venenum J. Furness Walth. 34; virus ~ens infecerat ‥ pectus ‥ et totum corpus Mir. Wulfst. 125. b 799 infidelitas ~it sicut venenum Alcuin Ep. 173; instaurata salus serpit tenebrasque repellit Mir. Nin. 145; in ejus furtim pectus vitia pro virtutibus ~ebant W. Malm. GR IV 311; hujusmodi sententia ab uno ‥ ~ens in alios ‥ movit corda Ib. IV 334; hii quorum sermo non modo ut cancer ~it sed velut lepra [II Tim. ii 17] R. Melun Sent. II 269; ex requie cerpit pestis sevissime luxus Gower VC III 1963. c diluculo sensim in lucem ~ente processio ‥ edicitur W. Malm. GR IV 379; vernans tempus etatis meditabatur in robur juventutis ~ere ‥ cum desiderio monastice religionis afflatus est Id. GP I 45.

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