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prettygoodword ([personal profile] prettygoodword) wrote2025-04-16 06:37 am

cursorial

cursorial (kur-SAWR-ee-uhl, kur-SOHR-ee-uhl) - (zool.) adj., adapted to or specialized for running.


Obligatory mention of cheetahs, but also horses and predators that chase-hunt, such as wolves. Contrast with arboreal, adapted to climbing trees, and fossorial, adapted to digging and living underground. Coined in the 1830s from Late Latin cursōrius, of running, from Latin cursor, runner, ultimately from PIE *ḱers-, to run -- which also gave us, ta da!, horse).

horse in motion
Thanks, WikiMedia!

---L.
lokifan: black Converse against a black background (Default)

[personal profile] lokifan 2025-04-16 02:58 pm (UTC)(link)
I love that 'horse' came from the word for run!