ichthyosaur

[ik-thee-uh-sawr] /ˈɪk θi əˌsɔr/

noun

any fishlike marine reptile of the extinct order Ichthyosauria, ranging from 4 to 40 feet (1.2 to 12 meters) in length and having a round, tapering body, a large head, four paddlelike flippers, and a vertical caudal fin.

Origin

1820-30; see ichthyosaurus

Related forms

ichthyosaurian, adjective, noun

ichthyosauroid, adjective

Examples from the web for ichthyosaur

In the new show, though, it is the ichthyosaur's time to shine.

British Dictionary definitions for ichthyosaur

ichthyosaur

/ˈɪkθɪəˌsɔː/

noun (pl) -saurs, -sauruses, -sauri (-ˈsɔːraɪ)

any extinct marine Mesozoic reptile of the order Ichthyosauria, which had a porpoise-like body with dorsal and tail fins and paddle-like limbs See also plesiosaur

Word Origin and History for ichthyosaur

Ichthyosaur

extinct reptile, 1830, Modern Latin, from Greek ikhthys "fish" + sauros "lizard" (see -saurus).

ichthyosaur in Science

ichthyosaur

(ĭk'thē-ə-sôr')
Any of various extinct sea reptiles of the genus Ichthyosaurus and related genera, that had a medium-sized to large dolphin-like body with a dorsal fin, four flippers, and a large, crescent-shaped tail. The head had a long beak with sharp teeth, large eyes and earbones, and nostrils near the eyes on top of the skull. Ichthyosaurs were most common and diverse in the Triassic and Jurassic Periods and died out well before the end of the Cretaceous.

Encyclopedia Article for ichthyosaur

any member of an extinct group of aquatic reptiles, most of which were very similar to porpoises in appearance and habits. These distant relatives of lizards and snakes (lepidosaurs) were the most highly specialized aquatic reptiles, but ichthyosaurs were not dinosaurs.

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