Arthrodira
plural noun
Ar·thro·di·ra
: a group of Devonian fishes forming a subclass of Placodermi or especially formerly an order of Ostracodermi or a separate class and having the forepart of the body protected by bony plates and with an imperfectly ossified internal skeleton see coccosteidae , dinichthys
arthrodiran adjective or noun
¦⸗⸗¦dīrən
arthrodire noun
ˈ⸗⸗ˌdī(ə)r
plural -s
arthrodirous adjective
-¦dīrəs
Word History
Etymology
New Latin, from arthr- + -dira (from Greek deirē neck); akin to Latvian grīva mouth of a river, Old Slavic griva mane, Sanskrit grīva neck, Latin vorare to devour
First Known Use
1891, in the meaning defined above