CROCODILIAN

Pronunciation (US):

(GB):

 Dictionary entry overview: What does crocodilian mean? 

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

1. extant archosaurian reptile

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

 Dictionary entry details 

• CROCODILIAN (noun)

Sense 1

Meaning:

Extant archosaurian reptile

Classified under:

Nouns denoting animals

Synonyms:

crocodilian; crocodilian reptile

Hypernyms ("crocodilian" 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 "crocodilian"):

crocodile (large voracious aquatic reptile having a long snout with massive jaws and sharp teeth and a body covered with bony plates; of sluggish tropical waters)

false gavial; Tomistoma schlegeli (crocodile of southeast Asia similar to but smaller than the gavial)

alligator; gator (either of two amphibious reptiles related to crocodiles but with shorter broader snouts)

caiman; cayman (a semiaquatic reptile of Central and South America that resembles an alligator but has a more heavily armored belly)

gavial; Gavialis gangeticus (large fish-eating Indian crocodilian with a long slender snout)

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

Crocodilia; Crocodylia; order Crocodilia; order Crocodylia (crocodiles; alligators; caimans; gavials)

 Context examples 

Charig could not determine whether the creature was more closely related to crocodilians or to dinosaurs, largely because the specimens lacked ankles and other bones.

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

The paper contains the first reconstructions of ancient relatives of elephants and large apex predators such as sharks, crocodilians and sea snakes.

(Ancient Saharan seaway illustrates how Earth’s climate and creatures can undergo extreme change, National Science Foundation)

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)

Fossils found on the expeditions indicate that the sea supported some of the largest sea snakes and catfish that ever lived, extinct fishes that were giants compared to their modern-day relatives, mollusk-crushing fishes, tropical invertebrates, long-snouted crocodilians, early mammals and mangrove forests, said O’Leary.

(Ancient Saharan seaway illustrates how Earth’s climate and creatures can undergo extreme change, National Science Foundation)