plesiosaur

[ plee-see-uh-sawr ]

noun

1. 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.

plesiosaur

/ ˈpliːsɪəˌsɔː /

noun

1. 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

plesiosaur

/ plē′sē-ə-sôr′ /

1. 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.

Other Words From

• plesi·o·sauroid adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of plesiosaur¹

< New Latin Plesiosaurus (1821), equivalent to Greek plēsí ( os ) near, close to + -o- -o- + saûros -saur; originally so named because of its conjectured nearness to modern reptiles, relative to the ichthyosaurs

Word History and Origins

Origin of plesiosaur¹

C19: from New Latin plēsiosaurus, from Greek plēsios near + sauros a lizard

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

Mosasaurs, plesiosaurs and giant sea turtles disappeared, along with entire families of fish.

From Science Daily

Meals would have included other reptiles such as its long-necked cousin, the plesiosaur, and the dolphin-like ichthyosaur - and fossil evidence reveals that it would have even feasted on other passing pliosaurs.

From BBC

The findings are rare and add new knowledge to the evolution of plesiosaurs.

From Science Daily

The vertebrae from a plesiosaur, a "sea creature" that became extinct 66 million years ago, was found in the north of Cambridge.

From BBC