From Longman Dictionary of Contemporary EnglishRelated topics: Animalsvipervi‧per /ˈvaɪpə $ -ər/ noun [countable]1HBAa small poisonoussnake2literary someone who behaves in an unpleasant way and harms other peopleExamples from the Corpusviper• That viper, that snake in the grass!• He was half tempted to call Penumbra himself and demand she come and collect this viper immediately.• The man who wrote the leaflet clearly thought vipers were just great.Originviper(1500-1600)Frenchvipère, from Latinvipera, probably from vivus"alive" + parere"to give birth to"