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plesiosaur

Definition of plesiosaur

noun

  • a large fossil marine reptile of the Mesozoic era, with a broad flat body, large paddle-like limbs, and typically a long flexible neck and small head.
    • Infraorder Plesiosauria, superorder Sauropterygia: several families, including Plesiosauridae

Origin:

mid 19th century: from modern Latin Plesiosaurus, from Greek plēsios 'near' + sauros 'lizard'

plesiosaur in other Oxford dictionaries

Definition of plesiosaur in the US English dictionary
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/ məˈnɒkjʊlə /
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