Quick Definition
ὄφις, εως, ὁ n.m. a serpent
Strong's Definition
probably from 3700 (through the idea of sharpness of vision); a snake, figuratively, (as a type of sly cunning) an artful malicious person, especially Satan
KJV Usage: serpent
UBS Dictionary of the Greek New Testament
noun, m. | -εως
4.52 · Animals · Reptiles and Other 'Creeping Things'
snake, reptile long legless reptile; no eyelids or external ears; moves by wriggling or gliding; some species have a poisonous bite; symbol of lurking, unexpected danger; associated with lies, deception, and misleading teaching Though ὄφις[a] may refer to any kind of snake, in LUK 10:19 it is obviously a reference to a poisonous snake that would harm a person who stepped on it. In translating LUK 10:19 it is essential to avoid an expression which will mean merely ‘to walk on snakes’ as though one were to walk for some distance over a mass of swarming snakes. The implication of this context is simply that one is able to step on snakes without being harmed.
MAT 7:10 · MAT 10:16 · MRK 16:18 · LUK 10:19 · LUK 11:11 · JHN 3:14 · 1CO 10:9 · 2CO 11:3 · REV 9:19 · REV 12:9 · REV 12:14 · REV 12:15 · REV 20:2
88.123 · Moral and Ethical Qualities and Related Behavior · Bad, Evil, Harmful, Damaging
evil person, viper, snake (a figurative extension of meaning of ὄφις[a] snake, 4.52) a dangerous and despised person One must exercise due caution in rendering ἔχιδνα in MAT 12:34 and ὄφις in MAT 23:33, since in some cultures snakes are regarded as being particularly wise and clever, and therefore an expression such as ‘brood of vipers’ could be a compliment. In some languages important distinctions are made between different types of snakes, and therefore connotations may vary considerably.
UBS Dictionary of the Greek New Testament © United Bible Societies, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.
Thayer's Greek Lexicon
ὄφις, -ews, 6, [perh. named fr. its sight; ef. δράκων, init., and see Curtius as s. v. ὀφθαλμός] ; fr. Hom. Il. 12, 208 down; Sept. mostly for wm; a snake, serpent: Mt. vii. 10; Mk. xvi. 18; Lk. x. 19; xi. 11; Jn. iii. 14; 1 Co. x. 9; Rey. ix. 19; with the ancients the serpent was an emblem of cunning and wisdom, 2 Co. xi. 3, ef. Gen. iii. 1; hence, φρόνιμοι ὡς οἱ ὄφεις, Mt. x. 16 [here WH mrg. ὁ ὄφις}; hence, crafty hypocrites are called ὄφεις, Mt. xxiii. 33. The serpent narrated to have deceived Eve (see Gen. u. s.) was regarded by the later Jews as the devil (Sap. ii. 23 sq. ef. 4 Mace. xviii. 8); hence he is Vi. 22; “2; called ὁ ὄφις ὁ ἀρχαῖος, ὁ ὄφις: Rev. xii. 9, 14 5α.; xx. 2; 566 [Grimm on Sap. u.s.; Fr. Lenormant, Beginnings of History ete. ch. ii. p. 109 sq., and] δράκων.
Mounce Concise Greek Dictionary
ὄφις ophis 14x
a serpent, Mt. 7:10; 10:16; an artificial serpent, Jn. 3:14; used of the devil or Satan, Rev. 12:9, 14, 15; 20:2; met. a man of serpentine character, Mt. 23:33
Abbott-Smith Greek Lexicon
ὄφις, -εως, ὁ,
[in LXX chiefly for נָחָשׁ;]
a serpent, snake: Mt 7:10, Mk 16:18, Lk 10:19 11:11, Jo 3:14, I Co 10:9, Re 9:19; as typical of wisdom and cunning, Mt 10:16 23:23, II Co 11:3 (cf. Ge 3:1); of Satan (cf. Ge 3:1, Wi 2:23, 24, IV Mac 18:8), Re 12:9, 14, 15 20:2.†
Moulton & Milligan — Vocabulary of the Greek NT
ὄφις. spell—8gw ἀποκτεῖναι, ‘to kill a serpent.’ In P Lond 122 (iv/A.p.) (=I. p. 116) Hermes is invoked under his various shapes and titles, e.g. Mev τῷ βορεᾷ μορφὴν ἔχεις ὄφεως. For the name ascribed to Satan cf. a Christian amulet not later than Justinian, Aazbe/ 1140 b3— φεῦγ᾽ ἀπ᾽ ἐμῶν μελέων, ὄφ[ι], πῦρ, Βελιὰρ κ[ακό]μορί φ]ε. The MGr φίδι has assumed the diminutive suffix and become neuter.
Liddell-Scott-Jones — Greek-English Lexicon
ὄφις (ophis) — snake. ὄφις, ὁ, genitive ὄφεως, poetry also ὄφεος [Refs 5th c.BC+]; Doric dialect and Ionic dialect ὄφιος [Refs 8th c.BC+]:—serpent, αἰόλος [Refs 8th c.BC+]; ὁ ψυχρὸς ὄ. [Refs 3rd c.BC+]; equivalent to δράκων in [Refs 8th c.BC+]
II. like{δράκων}, a serpent-like bracelet, [Refs 4th c.BC+]; ὄφεις is Attic dialect for ψέλλια accusative to [Refs 2nd c.AD+]
II.2. τρικάρηνος ὄ. ὁ χάλκεος dedicated at Delphi (= [Refs 5th c.BC+]
III. the constellation [Refs 4th c.BC+]
IV. a creeping plant, [Refs 5th c.BC+]
V. a kind of fish, see at {ὀφίδιον} [Refs]
VI. guinea-worm (elsewhere δρακόντιον), [Refs 2nd c.AD+]
VII. ={ὀφίασις} I, [Refs 1st c.AD+]. [The first syllable is sometimes made long in the older Poets, αἰόλον ὄφιν [Refs 8th c.BC+] —The ultima of the _nominative_ and _accusative_ ὄφις, ὄφιν is commonly long, as in [Refs 8th c.BC+]; short only in later Poets, as [Refs 4th c.BC+]