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Ichthyosaur

 - 4 dictionary results

ich⋅thy⋅o⋅saur

  [ik-thee-uh-sawr]
Use Ichthyosaur in a Sentence
–noun
any fishlike marine reptile of the extinct order Ichthyosauria, ranging from 4 to 40 ft. (1.2 to 12 m) in length and having a round, tapering body, a large head, four paddlelike flippers, and a vertical caudal fin.
Origin:
1820–30; see ichthyosaurus

Related forms:
ich⋅thy⋅o⋅sau⋅ri⋅an, adjective, noun
ich⋅thy⋅o⋅sau⋅roid, adjective
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2009.
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ich·thy·o·saur   (ĭk'thē-ə-sôr')   
n.   pl. ich·thy·o·saurs also ich·thy·o·sau·ri (-sôr'ī')
Any of various extinct fishlike marine reptiles of the order Ichthyosauria of the Triassic Period to the Cretaceous Period, having a porpoiselike head and an elongated, toothed snout.

[From New Latin ichthyosaurus : Greek ikhthuo-, ichthyo- + Greek sauros, lizard.]
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
Copyright © 2009 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
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Word Origin & History

Ichthyosaur 
1830, coined from Gk. ichthys "fish" + sauros "lizard."
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2001 Douglas Harper
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Encyclopedia

ichthyosaur

any member of an extinct group of aquatic reptiles, most of which were very similar to porpoises in appearance and habits. These distant relatives of lizards and snakes (lepidosaurs) were the most highly specialized aquatic reptiles, but ichthyosaurs were not dinosaurs.

Learn more about ichthyosaur with a free trial on Britannica.com.

Encyclopedia Britannica, 2008. Encyclopedia Britannica Online.
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