natatorial

or na·ta·to·ry

[ney-tuh-tawr-ee-uh l, -tohr-, nat-uh- or ney-tuh-tawr-ee, -tohr-, nat-uh-]

See more synonyms for natatorial on Thesaurus.com

adjective

pertaining to, adapted for, or characterized by swimming: natatorial birds.

Origin of natatorial

First recorded in 1810–20; natat(ion) + -orial

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

Related Words for natatorial

aquatic, naval, maritime, coastal, seagoing, saltwater, deep-sea, oceanic, shore, seashore, seafaring, sea, nautical, seaside, littoral, floating, pelagic, abyssal, navigational, Neptunian

Examples from the Web for natatorial

Historical Examples of natatorial

I well remember how proud I felt on the occasion when I first accomplished this natatorial feat.
The Boy Tar
Mayne Reid
The natatorial type of the Quadrumana, however, is most assuredly wanting.
The Romance of Natural History, Second Series
Philip Henry Gosse
Like all birds which belong to the natatorial type, the majority of the species live in the vicinity of water.
Zoological Illustrations, or Original Figures and Descriptions. Volume III, Second Series
William Swainson
He was a master of the natatorial art, but he was not amphibious, and soon would have to come to the surface or die.
Footprints in the Forest
Edward Sylvester Ellis
After watching Potowski's natatorial gestures, Fairfax had longed to swim out of the elegance into a freer sea.
Fairfax and His Pride
Marie Van Vorst

Word Origin and History for natatorial

adj.

1816, from natatory (adj.), from Latin natatorius, from natator "swimmer" (see natatorium) + -al.

Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper