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sea serpent
noun
: a large marine animal resembling a serpent often reported to have been seen but never proved to exist
Examples of sea serpent in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
In one scene, Godzilla heads to the Arctic Ocean and threatens a sea serpent with bioluminescent fins that emit a neon-pink glow (hell yeah!).
—Shirley Li, The Atlantic, 29 Mar. 2024
This kid gorilla leads Kong to a tribe of scraggly hostile apes who are living in a slave society presided over by the Skar King, an evil ape with blotchy red hair who’s as tall as Kong and wields a skeletal bone whip that looks like it was fashioned out of the spine of a sea serpent.
—Owen Gleiberman, Variety, 28 Mar. 2024
More than 40 books were published, but the first 10 are superior, with plots involving a sea serpent at a summer resort, a haunted mansion, and a trip to India.
—Ernesto Lechner, The Hollywood Reporter, 17 Feb. 2024
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According to the tales of Norse mythology, a sea serpent surrounds the world, circling its waters in a continuous cycle, by biting onto its own tail.
—Joshua Rapp Learn, Discover Magazine, 29 Nov. 2023
In a similar narrative of rebirth and revival, the name of this sea serpent, Jörmungandr, has recently taken on a new meaning.
—Joshua Rapp Learn, Discover Magazine, 29 Nov. 2023
There were sea monks and mermaids and mermen, not to mention the many species of sea serpents.
—Sam Walters, Discover Magazine, 30 Oct. 2023
Or the reptilian sea serpents that fishermen swear have menacingly popped up from the surface of the water, or the Sirens of Greek mythology who lured sailors to their deaths with their soothing, seductive songs.
—Steven Strogatz, Quanta Magazine, 14 June 2023
Although many aspects of the series’ effects work hold up regardless of the venue — the attack of a sea serpent in the second episode was a highlight for me — other pieces feel overlit and flat.
—Daniel Fienberg, The Hollywood Reporter, 31 Aug. 2022
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'sea serpent.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Word History
First Known Use
1774, in the meaning defined above
Dictionary Entries Near sea serpent
Cite this Entry
“Sea serpent.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/sea%20serpent. Accessed 1 Jun. 2024.
Kids Definition
sea serpent
noun
: a large marine animal resembling a snake often reported to have been seen but never proved to be real
More from Merriam-Webster on sea serpent
Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for sea serpent
Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about sea serpent
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