lacertilian

[ las-er-til-ee-uhn, -til-yuhn ]

adjective

belonging or pertaining to the reptilian suborder Lacertilia, comprising the lizards.

noun

a lacertilian reptile.

Origin of lacertilian

1850–55; <New Latin Lacertili(a) (Latin Lacert(a) Lacerta + -ilia, neuter plural of -ilis-ile) + -an

Also la·cer·tian [luh-sur-shuhn]. /ləˈsɜr ʃən/.

Words Nearby lacertilian

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use lacertilian in a sentence

Certain footprints in the coal measures of Kansas have been supposed to belong to lacertilian or dinosaurian forms.
Encyclopaedia Britannica, 11th Edition, Volume 5, Slice 3 | Various
In other words, the body, hind legs, and tail are lacertilian in character.
Evolution in Art | Alfred C. Haddon
Lizard, liz′ard, n. a family of four-footed scaly reptiles, a saurian or lacertilian.
Chambers's Twentieth Century Dictionary (part 2 of 4: E-M) | Various

British Dictionary definitions for lacertilian

lacertilian

/ (ˌlæsəˈtɪlɪən) /

nounAlso: lacertian (ləˈsɜːʃən)

any reptile of the suborder Lacertilia (lizards)

adjective

of, relating to, or belonging to the Lacertilia

Origin of lacertilian

C19: New Latin, from Latin lacerta lizard

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

Scientific definitions for lacertilian

lacertilian

[ lăs′ər-tĭl′ē-ən ]

Relating to or characteristic of lizards and closely related reptiles.

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