ARCHOSAUR

Pronunciation (US):

(GB):

 Dictionary entry overview: What does archosaur mean? 

• ARCHOSAUR (noun)
  The noun ARCHOSAUR has 1 sense:

1. extinct reptiles including: dinosaurs; plesiosaurs; pterosaurs; ichthyosaurs; thecodonts

  Familiarity information: ARCHOSAUR used as a noun is very rare.

 Dictionary entry details 

• ARCHOSAUR (noun)

Sense 1

Meaning:

Extinct reptiles including: dinosaurs; plesiosaurs; pterosaurs; ichthyosaurs; thecodonts

Classified under:

Nouns denoting animals

Synonyms:

archosaur; archosaurian; archosaurian reptile

Hypernyms ("archosaur" is a kind of...):

diapsid; diapsid reptile (reptile having a pair of openings in the skull behind each eye)

Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "archosaur"):

dinosaur (any of numerous extinct terrestrial reptiles of the Mesozoic era)

flying reptile; pterosaur (an extinct reptile of the Jurassic and Cretaceous having a bird-like beak and membranous wings supported by the very long fourth digit of each forelimb)

thecodont; thecodont reptile (presumably in the common ancestral line to dinosaurs and crocodiles and birds)

ichthyosaur (any of several marine reptiles of the Mesozoic having a body like a porpoise with dorsal and tail fins and paddle-shaped limbs)

plesiosaur; plesiosaurus (extinct marine reptile with a small head on a long neck a short tail and four paddle-shaped limbs; of the Jurassic and Cretaceous)

nothosaur (extinct marine reptile with longer more slender limbs than plesiosaurs and less completely modified for swimming)

Holonyms ("archosaur" is a member of...):

Archosauria; subclass Archosauria (a large subclass of diapsid reptiles including: crocodiles; alligators; dinosaurs; pterosaurs; plesiosaurs; ichthyosaurs; thecodonts)

Derivation:

archosaurian (of or relating to reptiles of the subclass Archosauria)

 Context examples 

The intact ankle bones and other parts of the skeleton helped scientists determine that the species is one of the oldest members of the archosaur tree and had a crocodilian look.

(Scientists discover fossil of dinosaur ancestor with surprising croc-like appearance, NSF)

T. rhadinus and its kin are the earliest known members of the bird branch of the archosaurs.

(Scientists discover fossil of dinosaur ancestor with surprising croc-like appearance, NSF)

It shows up in the fossil record right after a large group of reptiles known as archosaurs split into a bird branch (leading to dinosaurs and eventually birds) and a crocodile branch (leading to alligators and crocodiles).

(Scientists discover fossil of dinosaur ancestor with surprising croc-like appearance, NSF)