TUATARA

Pronunciation (US):

(GB):

 Dictionary entry overview: What does tuatara mean? 

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

1. only extant member of the order Rhynchocephalia of large spiny lizard-like diapsid reptiles of coastal islands off New Zealand

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

 Dictionary entry details 

• TUATARA (noun)

Sense 1

Meaning:

Only extant member of the order Rhynchocephalia of large spiny lizard-like diapsid reptiles of coastal islands off New Zealand

Classified under:

Nouns denoting animals

Synonyms:

Sphenodon punctatum; tuatara

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

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

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

genus Sphenodon; Sphenodon (coextensive with the order Rhynchocephalia: tuataras)