reptile

American  

[rep-tahyl, -til] / ˈrɛp taɪl, -tɪl /

noun

reptiles plural

1. any cold-blooded vertebrate of the class Reptilia, comprising the turtles, snakes, lizards, crocodilians, amphisbaenians, tuatara, and various extinct members including the dinosaurs.

2. (loosely) any of various animals that crawl or creep.

3. a groveling, mean, or despicable person.

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adjective

1. of or resembling a reptile; creeping or crawling.

2. groveling, mean, or despicable.

reptile British  

/ ˈrɛptaɪl /

noun

1. any of the cold-blooded vertebrates constituting the class Reptilia , characterized by lungs, an outer covering of horny scales or plates, and young produced in amniotic eggs. The class today includes the tortoises, turtles, snakes, lizards, and crocodiles; in Mesozoic times it was the dominant group, containing the dinosaurs and related forms

2. a grovelling insignificant person

   you miserable little reptile!

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adjective

1. creeping, crawling, or squirming

2. grovelling or insignificant; mean; contemptible

reptile Scientific  

/ rĕp′tīl′ /

1. Any of various cold-blooded vertebrates of the class Reptilia, having skin covered with scales or horny plates, breathing air with lungs, and usually having a three-chambered heart. Unlike amphibians, whose eggs are fertilized outside the female body, reptiles reproduce by eggs that are fertilized inside the female. Though once varied, widespread, and numerous, reptilian lineages, including the pterosaurs, ichthyosaurs, plesiosaurs, and dinosaurs, have mostly become extinct (though birds are living descendants of dinosaurs). The earliest reptiles were the cotylosaurs (or stem reptiles) of the late Mississippian or early Pennsylvanian Period, from which mammals evolved. Modern reptiles include crocodiles, snakes, turtles, and lizards.

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Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• reptilelike
  adjective
• reptiloid
  adjective

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• reptiles
  plural

Etymology

Origin of reptile

1350–1400; Middle English reptil < Late Latin rēptile, noun use of neuter of rēptilis creeping, equivalent to Latin rēpt ( us ) (past participle of rēpere to creep) + -ilis -ile

Explanation

A reptile is a cold-blooded, scaly animal with a backbone. Lizards and turtles? Yep — both reptiles. Puppies and kittens? No way. There are many classes of animals. People are part of the mammal class. Another class is reptiles, which are all cold-blooded vertebrates (meaning they have backbones). Snakes, turtles, tortoises, lizards, alligators, chameleons, geckos, skinks, and crocodiles are all reptiles. You'll see plenty of reptiles at the zoo, and you'll see replicas of some at a natural history museum — since dinosaurs were reptiles!

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

reptile reptiles

Many of those changes involve the same genes and biological pathways associated with human cancers, raising the possibility that this reptile could help advance cancer research.

From Science Daily ● Jul. 15, 2026

"However, equally as important as restoring the rare bog habitat, is ensuring reptile populations are protected."

From BBC ● Jul. 13, 2026

Forestry and Land Scotland has also confirmed the presence of slow worms in the wider restoration area, although reptile population numbers are not known.

From BBC ● Jul. 13, 2026

After the crocodile ate a bird that had flown in, staff moved the reptile outside and used cinder blocks to weigh down the grate keeping it closed.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 2, 2026

Maybe the demon ladies had been snapped up by that reptile in the cave.

From "The House of Hades" by Rick Riordan

Sperling compared this dramatic ecological shift to the extinction of the non-avian dinosaurs 65 million years ago, "where mammals essentially took over and never gave up that niche to reptiles again."

From Science Daily ● Jul. 12, 2026

The reptiles "love it in here," said Kate Thorne, who puts mats out for various species to shelter under.

From BBC ● Jun. 10, 2026

Upton Heath is an internationally important area of heathland and home to all six of Britain's native reptiles, including the rare sand lizard and smooth snake.

From BBC ● Jun. 3, 2026

People working with Perez would collect the reptiles including Mexican box turtles and Mexican beaded lizards, at from an airport in Ciudad Juárez, then move them by car over the border to El Paso.

From Los Angeles Times ● May 29, 2026

We were from different groups, our own version of mammals, reptiles, and fish.

From "Auggie & Me" by R. J. Palacio