ichthyosaur

[ ik-thee-uh-sawr ]

noun

1. 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.

ichthyosaur

/ ˈɪkθɪəˌsɔː; ˌɪkθɪəˈsɔːrəs /

noun

1. 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

ichthyosaur

/ ĭk′thē-ə-sôr′ /

1. 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.

Other Words From

• ichthy·o·sauri·an adjective noun
• ichthy·o·sauroid adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of ichthyosaur¹

First recorded in 1820–30; ichthyosaurus

Example Sentences

This revealed a number of specimens including bones from ichthyosaurs and plesiosaurs and other ancient sea creatures including ammonites and bivalves, marine crocodiles and sharks.

From Science Daily

Experts have identified the bones as belonging to the jaws of a new species of enormous ichthyosaur, a type of prehistoric marine reptile.

From Science Daily

Experts now say the fossils are from two giant ichthyosaur reptiles, which could have been 25m long.

From BBC

Two centuries later, less than 50 miles away, an 11-year-old girl named Ruby Reynolds found a fossil from another ichthyosaur.

From New York Times

A study carried out at the University of Bonn could now settle this dispute once and for all: The microstructure of the fossils indicates that they come from the lower jaw of a gigantic ichthyosaur.

From Science Daily