vi·per n.
 1. Zool. Any one of numerous species of Old World venomous snakes belonging to Vipera, Clotho, Daboia, and other genera of the family Viperidae.
    There came a viper out of the heat, and fastened on his hand.   --Acts xxviii. 3.
 Note: ☞ Among the best-known species are the European adder (Pelias berus), the European asp (Vipera aspis), the African horned viper (Vipera cerastes), and the Indian viper (Daboia Russellii).
 2. A dangerous, treacherous, or malignant person.
 Who committed
 To such a viper his most sacred trust
 Of secrecy.   --Milton.
 Horned viper. Zool. See Cerastes.
 Red viper Zool., the copperhead.
 Viper fish Zool., a small, slender, phosphorescent deep-sea fish (Chauliodus Sloanii).  It has long ventral and dorsal fins, a large mouth, and very long, sharp teeth.
 Viper's bugloss Bot., a rough-leaved biennial herb (Echium vulgare) having showy purplish blue flowers.  It is sometimes cultivated, but has become a pestilent weed in fields from New York to Virginia.  Also called blue weed.
 Viper's grass Bot., a perennial composite herb (Scorzonera Hispanica) with narrow, entire leaves, and solitary heads of yellow flowers.  The long, white, carrot-shaped roots are used for food in Spain and some other countries.  Called also viper grass.

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 Asp n.  Zool. A small, hooded, poisonous serpent of Egypt and adjacent countries, whose bite is often fatal. It is the Naja haje. The name is also applied to other poisonous serpents, esp. to Vipera aspis of southern Europe. See Haje.

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 Vipera aspis
      n : of southern Europe; similar to but smaller than the adder
          [syn: asp, asp viper]