saurian

[ sawr-ee-uhn ]

adjective

1. belonging or pertaining to the Sauria, a group of reptiles originally including the lizards, crocodiles, and several extinct forms but now technically restricted to the lizards.
2. resembling a lizard.

noun

1. a saurian animal, as a dinosaur or lizard.

saurian

/ ˈsɔːrɪən /

adjective

1. of, relating to, or resembling a lizard
2. of, relating to, or belonging to the Sauria, a former suborder of reptiles (now called Lacertilia ), which included the lizards

noun

1. a former name for lizard

saurian

/ sôr′ē-ən /

1. A lizard or similar reptile.

Word History and Origins

Origin of saurian¹

1800–10; < New Latin Sauri ( a ) an order of reptiles + -an; -saur

Word History and Origins

Origin of saurian¹

C15: from New Latin Sauria, from Greek sauros

Example Sentences

In addition to the T. rexes and other saurian menaces, he faces quicksand, large bugs, falling rocks, malfunctioning equipment and the withering judgment of a 9-year-old girl.

From New York Times

Dieter Bohn did find an “Alligator Bride” in the form of a song by blues-rock band Howlin’ Rain, but I don’t think these folks were the saurian spouses to which Wen was referring.

From The Verge

Some of its thousand bellowing saurians got used to moseying around the Mission Road neighborhood when floodwaters rose high enough to float them free.

From Los Angeles Times

The filmmakers did this deliberately to avoid any confusion with another saurian antagonist, the Velociraptor.

From Scientific American

Since all four animals, and dinosaurs, belong to the same group of land vertebrates – the saurians – Chapelle said the development of the dinosaur embryos probably followed a similar path.

From The Guardian