chelonian

Apr. 4th, 2012 07:25 am
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chelonian (ki-LOH-nee-uhn) - adj., of, pertaining to, or resembling a turtle. n., a turtle.


Specifically, a reptile that's a member of either a) the superorder Chelonia (turtles, tortoises, terrapins, and the proto-turtles), b) the order Testudines (turtles, tortoises, and terrapins), c) the superfamily Chelonioidea (sea turtles), d) the family Cheloniidae (one branch of same), e) or the genus Chelonia. First used in 1828, from New Latin Chelōnia (further subset, containing just the green sea turtle), from Greek khelōnē, tortoise. (How did Testudines get in there? From the Latin for tortoise.)

---L.

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