a. [ L. brevis short + pes, pedis, foot: cf. F. brévipède. ] (Zool.) Having short legs. -- n. A breviped bird. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ L. brevis short + penna wing: cf. F. brévipenne. ] (Zool.) A brevipennate bird. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. [ L. brevis short + E. pennate. ] (Zool.) Short-winged; -- applied to birds which can not fly, owing to their short wings, as the ostrich, cassowary, and emu. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. [ Larva + L. parete to bring forth. ] (Zool.) Depositing living larvæ, instead of eggs; -- said of certain insects. [ 1913 Webster ]

‖n. pl. [ NL. See Oviparous. ] (Zool.) An artificial division of vertebrates, including those that lay eggs; -- opposed to Vivipara. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ See Oviparous. ] (Biol.) Generation by means of ova. See Generation. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. [ L. oviparus; ovum egg + parere to bring forth: cf. F. ovipare. ] (Physiol.) Producing young from eggs; as, an oviparous animal, in which the egg is generally separated from the animal, and hatched after exclusion; -- opposed to viviparous. [ 1913 Webster ]

v. t. To deposit or lay (an egg). [ 1913 Webster ]

v. i. [ imp. & p. p. Oviposited; p. pr. & vb. n. Ovipositing. ] [ See Ovum, and Posit. ] To lay or deposit eggs; -- said esp. of insects. [ 1913 Webster ]

{ } n. The depositing of eggs, esp. by insects. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ L. ovum an egg + positor a placer, fr. ponere to place. ] (Zool.) The organ with which many insects and some other animals deposit their eggs. Some ichneumon files have a long ovipositor fitted to pierce the eggs or larvae of other insects, in order to lay their own eggs within the same. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. [ Ovum + viviparous: cf. F. ovovivipare. ] (Biol.) Oviparous, but hatching the egg while it is within the body, as some fishes and reptiles. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ F. vipère, L. vipera, probably contr. fr. vivipera; vivus alive + parere to bring forth, because it was believed to be the only serpent that brings forth living young. Cf. Quick, a., Parent, Viviparous, Wivern, Weever. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

1. (Zool.) Any one of numerous species of Old World venomous snakes belonging to Vipera, Clotho, Daboia, and other genera of the family Viperidae. [ 1913 Webster ]

There came a viper out of the heat, and fastened on his hand. Acts xxviii. 3. [ 1913 Webster ]

☞ 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). [ 1913 Webster ]

2. A dangerous, treacherous, or malignant person. [ 1913 Webster ]

Who committed
To such a viper his most sacred trust
Of secrecy. Milton. [ 1913 Webster ]

3. Loosely, any venomous or presumed venomous snake. [ PJC ]

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. [ 1913 Webster ]

‖n. pl. (Zool.) See Viperoidea. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. [ L. viperinus: cf. F. vipérin. ] Of or pertaining to a viper or vipers; resembling a viper. [ 1913 Webster ]

Viperine snake. (Zool.) (a) Any venomous snake of the family Viperidae. (b) A harmless snake resembling a viper in form or color, esp. Tropidonotus viperinus, a small European species which resembles the viper in color. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. Somewhat like a viper; viperous. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. [ Viper + -oid. ] (Zool.) Like or pertaining to the vipers. [ Webster 1913 Suppl. ]

{ ‖ } n. pl. [ NL. See Viper, and -oid. ] (Zool.) A division of serpents which includes the true vipers of the Old World and the rattlesnakes and moccasin snakes of America; -- called also Viperina. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. Having the qualities of a viper; malignant; venomous; as, a viperous tongue. “This viperous slander.” Shak. -- Vi"per*ous*ly, adv. [1913 Webster]

‖n. pl. [ NL. See Viviparous. ] (Zool.) An artificial division of vertebrates including those that produce their young alive; -- opposed to Ovipara. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. (Biol.) The quality or condition of being viviparous. H. Spencer. [ 1913 Webster ]

[ 1913 Webster ]

a. [ L. viviparus; vivus alive + parere to bear, bring forth. Cf. Viper. ] (Biol.) Producing young in a living state, as most mammals, or as those plants the offspring of which are produced alive, either by bulbs instead of seeds, or by the seeds themselves germinating on the plant, instead of falling, as they usually do; -- opposed to oviparous. [ 1913 Webster ]

Viviparous fish. (Zool.) See Embiotocoid. --
Viviparous shell (Zool.), any one of numerous species of operculated fresh-water gastropods belonging to Viviparus, Melantho, and allied genera. Their young, when born, have a well-developed spiral shell. [ 1913 Webster ]

adv. (Biol.) In a viviparous manner. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. (Biol.) The quality of being viviparous; viviparity. [ 1913 Webster ]

(Zool.) See Water moccasin. [ 1913 Webster ]