The serpent of old Nile
Preserved but no longer current.
Meaning · English
Cleopatra, so called by Antony. He's speaking now, Or murmuring "Where's my serpent of old Nile?" For so he calls me.
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 “The serpent of old Nile” mean?
Cleopatra, so called by Antony. He's speaking now, Or murmuring "Where's my serpent of old Nile?" For so he calls me.
Is “The serpent of old Nile” formal or informal?
No register label has been reviewed yet — treat it as neutral and check the usage notes above.