chelonian

[ki-loh-nee-uh n]

See more synonyms for chelonian on Thesaurus.com

adjective

belonging or pertaining to the order Chelonia, comprising the turtles.

noun

a turtle.

Origin of chelonian

1820–30; < New Latin Cheloni(a) (< Greek chelṓn(ē) turtle + New Latin -ia, neuter plural noun suffix) + -an

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018

Related Words for chelonian

tortoise, slowpoke, chelonian, snapper, terrapin, cooter, leatherback, loggerhead, testudinal

Examples from the Web for chelonian

Historical Examples of chelonian

Say saw one on a chelonian, and others on tritons and frogs.
Animal Parasites and Messmates
P. J. Van Beneden
Among Chelonian reptiles that region of the brain is more remarkable for height.
Dragons of the Air
H. G. Seeley
The 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 Warren
The 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 Warren
The 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

chelonian

noun

any reptile of the order Chelonia, including the tortoises and turtles, in which most of the body is enclosed in a protective bony capsule

adjective

of, relating to, belonging to, or characteristic of the Chelonia

Word Origin for chelonian

C19: from New Latin Chelōnia, from Greek khelōnē tortoise

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

chelonian in Science

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.