prō-serpo, ĕre, v. n., to creep forwards or forth, to creep or crawl along (ante- and post-class.).
I Lit.: proserpens bestia, Plaut. Poen. 5, 2, 74; cf. id. As. 3, 3, 105; id. Pers. 4, 28; Varr. L. L. 5, § 68 Müll.: servulus proserpit leniter, Ap. Met. 4, 19, 5; de specu funesta proserpit ursa, id. ib. 7, 24, 13.—Transf., of plants, to come forth imperceptibly : sata in lucem proserpunt, Arn. 3, 119.—
II Trop., to move on imperceptibly , to glide or steal along (postclass.): proserpit ad intima vulnus, Ser. Samm. 14, 251: malo proserpenti occurrere, Amm. 15, 8, 7.