plesiosaur
[ plee-see-uh-sawr ]
/ ˈpli si əˌsɔr /
noun
any marine reptile of the extinct genus Plesiosaurus, from the Jurassic and Cretaceous periods, having a small head, a long neck, four paddlelike limbs, and a short tail.
Origin of plesiosaur
OTHER WORDS FROM plesiosaur
ple·si·o·sau·roid, adjectiveWords nearby plesiosaur
pleonosteosis,
pleopod,
pleoptics,
plerion,
plerocercoid,
plesiosaur,
plessimeter,
plessor,
plessy versus ferguson,
plethora,
plethoric
Example sentences from the Web for plesiosaur
In the popular mind, perhaps, the Ichthyosaur and Plesiosaur are the typical representatives of that extinct race.
The Story of Evolution |Joseph McCabeThe Plesiosaur, on the other hand, had a small and delicate head, with slender teeth and small eyes.
The Story of the Earth and Man |J. W. Dawson
British Dictionary definitions for plesiosaur
plesiosaur
/ (ˈpliːsɪəˌsɔː) /
noun
any of various extinct marine reptiles of the order Sauropterygia, esp any of the suborder Plesiosauria, of Jurassic and Cretaceous times, having a long neck, short tail, and paddle-like limbs
See also ichthyosaur Compare dinosaur, pterosaur
Word Origin for plesiosaur
C19: from New Latin
plēsiosaurus, from Greek
plēsios near +
sauros a lizard
Scientific definitions for plesiosaur
plesiosaur
[ plē′sē-ə-sôr′ ]
Any of various large, extinct marine reptiles of the genus Plesiosaurus and related genera of the Mesozoic Era. Most plesiosaurs had a small head on a long neck and a broad body with paddlelike limbs; one group had a large head on a short neck. The exact relationship between plesiosaurs and other reptiles is not known.