thecodont

[ thee-kuh-dont ]

noun

1. any of various reptiles of the extinct order Thecodontia, occurring in the late Permian to late Triassic periods and characterized by teeth set in sockets.

adjective

1. having the teeth set in sockets.
2. belonging to or pertaining to the Thecodontia.

thecodont

/ ˈθiːkəˌdɒnt /

adjective

1. (of mammals and certain reptiles) having teeth that grow in sockets
2. of or relating to teeth of this type

noun

1. any extinct reptile of the order Thecodontia, of Triassic times, having teeth set in sockets: they gave rise to the dinosaurs, crocodiles, pterodactyls, and birds

thecodont

/ thē′kə-dŏnt′ /

1. Any of various extinct primitive archosaurs of the order Thecodontia of the late Permian and Triassic Periods. Thecodonts had teeth in sockets and were probably ancestral to the dinosaurs, pterosaurs, and crocodilians.

Word History and Origins

Origin of thecodont¹

1830–40; < New Latin, equivalent to Greek thḗk ( ē ) case, chest ( theca ) + -odont- -odont; so named from the sockets in which the marginal teeth were implanted

Word History and Origins

Origin of thecodont¹

C20: New Latin Thecondontia, from Greek thēkē case + -odont

Example Sentences

A genus of "Thecodont" Reptiles, so named in allusion to the fact that the teeth are sunk in distinct sockets.

From Project Gutenberg