saurian

[ sawr-ee-uh n ]

/ ˈsɔr i ən /

adjective

belonging or pertaining to the Sauria, a group of reptiles originally including the lizards, crocodiles, and several extinct forms but now technically restricted to the lizards.

resembling a lizard.

noun

a saurian animal, as a dinosaur or lizard.

Nearby words

saunders, saundra, saunter, saurashtra, saurel, saurian, saurischian, sauropod, sauropterygian, saury, sausage

Origin of saurian

1800–10; < New Latin Sauri(a) an order of reptiles + -an; see -saur

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for saurian

The bullet darted into the nearer eye and ripped through what little brain the saurian possessed.
Up the Forked River|Edward Sylvester Ellis
Cuvier was the first to detect the truth, and to prove, from its organisation, that the animal was a Saurian.
The World Before the Deluge|Louis Figuier
They are principally of the crocodile, and saurian (or lizard) families.
The Mosaic History of the Creation of the World|Thomas Wood
A few bubbles came up as a saurian closed its jaws upon him, and a red tinge rose to the surface of the river.
Journeys and Experiences in Argentina, Paraguay, and Chile|Henry Stephens

His arms, hampered by sleeves pulled far down over the hands, winnowed the air like saurian flippers, wagging in vain resistance.
Local Color|Irvin S. Cobb

British Dictionary definitions for saurian

saurian

/ (ˈsɔːrɪən) /

adjective

of, relating to, or resembling a lizard

of, relating to, or belonging to the Sauria, a former suborder of reptiles (now called Lacertilia), which included the lizards

noun

a former name for lizard

Word Origin for saurian

C15: from New Latin Sauria, from Greek sauros

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

Science definitions for saurian

saurian

[ sôr′ē-ən ]

A lizard or similar reptile.