plesiosaur Hear it!

plesiosaur Definition

plesio·saur (plē′sē ə sôr′)

noun

any of an extinct group (order Sauropterygia) of large water reptiles of the Mesozoic Era, characterized by a small head, long neck, short tail, and four paddlelike limbs

Etymology: < ModL Plesiosaurus < Gr plēsios, close, near, akin to pelos, near (prob. < IE base *pel-, to push > felt, L pellere, to drive) + -saur

plesiosaur Usage Examples

Converse of object

  • age: Our aging plesiosaur has seen a lot in her life but wishes to make clear her complete support of democracy and freedom of expression.
  • find: Map Map 1821 Mary Anning finds the first known fossil Plesiosaur.

Adjective modifier

  • first: Map Map 1821 Mary Anning finds the first known fossil Plesiosaur.

Modifies a noun

  • skeleton: Dinosaur named after electrician - A 70 million-year-old plesiosaur skeleton may be named after the electrician who found it, experts said.