ursid

[ ur-sid ]

noun

1. any plantigrade carnivore of the family Ursidae, comprising the spectacled bear, the black, brown, and sun bears, and various extinct species that also gave rise to the giant panda of the family Ailuropodidae.

Word History and Origins

Origin of ursid¹

< New Latin Ursidae, equivalent to Urs ( us ) a genus ( Latin: bear) + -idae -id ²

Example Sentences

Instead, the crafty ursids stalk seals on nearby glacial mélange — a floating mishmash of icebergs, sea ice fragments and snow that persists year-round near the front of glaciers in the fjords, researchers report in the June 17 Science.

From Science News