natatorial

or na·ta·to·ry

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

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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. 2019

Related Words for natatory

floating, marine, maritime, amphibious, oceanic, amphibian, sea, swimming, watery, natant, natatorial

Examples from the Web for natatory

Historical Examples of natatory

And yet 'this natatory art' is but little cultivated amongst us.
The Hero of the Humber
Henry Woodcock
I had confidence enough in my natatory powers to make me easy on that score.
The Boy Tar
Mayne Reid
About the degree of your natatory powers we needn't dispute.
Gwen Wynn
Mayne Reid
The eyes were probably stalked, the antennae and mandibles biramous and natatory, and both armed with masticatory processes.
Encyclopaedia Britannica, 11th Edition, Volume 7, Slice 7
Various
They are free and natatory when young, but in the adult state attached to rocks or some floating substance.
The Sailor's Word-Book
William Henry Smyth

British Dictionary definitions for natatory

natatory

natatorial (ˌnætəˈtɔːrɪəl, ˌneɪtəˈtɔːrɪəl)

adjective

of or relating to swimming

Word Origin for natatory

C18: from Late Latin natātōrius, from natāre to swim

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

Word Origin and History for natatory

natatorial

adj.

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