chelonian
belonging or pertaining to the reptilian order Testudines (formerly Chelonia), comprising turtles, tortoises, and terrapins.
a turtle, tortoise, or terrapin.
Origin of chelonian
1- Compare testudinate.
Words Nearby chelonian
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024
How to use chelonian in a sentence
Say saw one on a chelonian, and others on tritons and frogs.
Animal Parasites and Messmates | P. J. Van BenedenAlso the upper half of the immovable case in which the body of a chelonian is protected.
The Ancient Life History of the Earth | Henry Alleyne NicholsonThe eighth group is assigned by President Hitchcock to the chelonian or turtle tribe.
Remarks on some fossil impressions in the sandstone rocks of Connecticut River | John Collins WarrenThe Scotch footsteps are situated in the old red sandstone, and are those of a chelonian.
Remarks on some fossil impressions in the sandstone rocks of Connecticut River | John Collins WarrenThe chelonian tracks are two in number: the longest measures four feet ten inches; the shorter, two feet nine inches.
Remarks on some fossil impressions in the sandstone rocks of Connecticut River | John Collins Warren
British Dictionary definitions for chelonian
/ (kɪˈləʊnɪən) /
any reptile of the order Chelonia, including the tortoises and turtles, in which most of the body is enclosed in a protective bony capsule
of, relating to, belonging to, or characteristic of the Chelonia
Origin of chelonian
1Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
Scientific definitions for chelonian
[ kĭ-lō′nē-ən ]
Any of various reptiles of the order Chelonia (or Testudines), which includes the turtles and tortoises. Chelonians lack teeth and usually have a hard shell that protects the body and consists of bony plates fused to the vertebrae and ribs. Unlike all other living reptiles, the skulls of chelonians lack temporal openings, which is characteristic of the earliest known reptiles (called anapsids). Chelonians evolved during the late Permian or Triassic Period and have changed little since.
The American Heritage® Science Dictionary Copyright © 2011. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
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