reptilian
Americanadjective
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belonging or pertaining to the Reptilia.
-
groveling, debased, or despicable; contemptible.
-
mean; treacherous; harmful.
noun
Etymology
Origin of reptilian
1840–50; < New Latin Reptili ( a ) reptiles (plural of rēptile, neuter of Late Latin rēptilis; reptile ) + -an
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Porkchop earned her 15 minutes of reptilian fame by becoming the first turtle to swim in the tank.
From Los Angeles Times
Byrne, now an Oscar nominee for the same role, found herself having to explain that parenthood almost always comes with scheduling conflicts and answer follow-up questions about the reptilian addition to her family.
From Los Angeles Times
"I have been working on the evolution of reptilian heads and noses since my master's degree," he said.
From Science Daily
“In his reptilian survival way, he says ‘I’m going to do this and draw attention away from Epstein,'” he said.
From Salon
The jawbone looked reptilian but had teeth resembling those of dinosaurs.
From Science Daily
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
