The building blocks of English

Affixes

ophi(o)-

A snake.

Greek ophis, snake.

The Ophidia is a group of reptiles which comprises the snakes; ophiology is the study of snakes. The obsolete musical instrument called the ophicleide (Greek kleis, kleid‑, key) was given that name because of its twisted shape. In geology, ophiolite is an igneous rock consisting largely of serpentine, the latter called that because of its mottled appearance, like a snake's skin.