any of various extinct marine reptiles of the order Sauropterygia, esp any of the suborder Plesiosauria, of Jurassic and Cretaceous times, having a long neck, short tail, and paddle-like limbs
See also ichthyosaur, Compare dinosaur, pterosaur
Word origin
C19: from New Latin plēsiosaurus, from Greek plēsios near + sauros a lizard
plesiosaur in American English
(ˈplisiəˌsɔr)
noun
any of an extinct group (order Sauropterygia) of large water reptiles of the Mesozoic Era, characterized by a small head, long neck, short tail, and four paddlelike limbs
Word origin
< ModL Plesiosaurus < Gr plēsios, close, near, akin to pelos, near (prob. < IE base *pel-, to push > felt1, L pellere, to drive) + -saur