lacertilianadj.n.
/ˌlasəˈtɪlɪən/, U.S. /ˌlæsərˈtɪljən/, /ˌlæsərˈtɪliən/ Zoology.
A. adj.
Of or relating to the group Lacertilia (now a suborder), which comprises the lizards; see Lacertilia n.
ΚΠ
1845 Edinb. Rev. July 40 The Reptiles of this period—all belong to the Lacertilian order of Owen.
1881 Nature 14 Apr. 551/1 Its lacertilian affinities are well shown in its long and rat-like tail.
1920 Brit. Mus.: Return 138 in Parl. Papers (H.C. 153) XXXVI. 673 A few Lacertilian remains, from superficial deposits in Mauritius.
1958 W. E. Swinton Fossil Amphibians & Reptiles (ed. 2) xiv. 102 The limbs, though essentially lacertilian, are modified into paddles.
2008 Jrnl. Vertebr. Paleontol. 28 94 a/2 Chameleon forelimb osteology is unusual because lacertilian forelimbs are otherwise noted for their conservative morphology.
B. n.
An animal of the group Lacertilia; a lizard.
ΘΚΠ
the world > animals > reptiles > order Squamata (lizards and snakes) > suborder Lacertilia (lizards) > [noun]
Sauria1803
lacertian1822
lacertilian1845
1845 Edinb. Rev. July 41 We believe we are correct in placing the Lacertilians. in the third order from the top.
1886 Encycl. Brit. XX. 461/1 In the Ophidia and Amphisbænians and some other Snake-like Lacertilians there is no tympanic cavity.
1913 Chambers's Jrnl. Apr. 326/2 A unique creature..has the honour, indeed, of differing from every other living lacertilian.
1990 P. J. Currie et al. in K. Carpenter & P. J. Currie Dinosaur Systematics (1992) viii. 107 Troodon formosus is a name that was established on the basis of a tooth originally thought to have belonged to a lacertilian.
2010 Jrnl. Vertebr. Paleontol. 30 1428/1 The lateral calcaneal flange is far from universal among extant lacertilians.
This entry has been updated (OED Third Edition, March 2017; most recently modified version published online March 2022).
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adj.n.1845