aaron's serpent
Preserved but no longer current.
Meaning · English
Something so powerful as to eliminate minor powers. And hence one master passion in the breast, Like Aaron's serpent swallows up the rest.
Era: ca. 1898 (Victorian)
Sources & notes
Reproduced from Brewer’s Dictionary of Phrase and Fable (1898 edition, public domain; archive.org, retrieved 2026-07-31; OCR text, minor errors possible). Reflects the scholarship and attitudes of its era.
Common questions
What does “aaron's serpent” mean?
Something so powerful as to eliminate minor powers. And hence one master passion in the breast, Like Aaron's serpent swallows up the rest.
Is “aaron's serpent” formal or informal?
No register label has been reviewed yet — treat it as neutral and check the usage notes above.