plesiosauroid
/ˌpliːzɪəˈsɔːrɔɪd/Palaeontology
adjective
Resembling or characteristic of members of the genus Plesiosaurus or the superfamily Plesiosauroidea of long-necked plesiosaurs.
noun
A member of the superfamily Plesiosauroidea; a long-necked plesiosaur.
Origin
Mid 19th century; earliest use found in Richard Owen (1804–1892), comparative anatomist and palaeontologist. From either plesiosaur or Plesiosaurus + -oid. With later use, compare scientific Latin Plesiosauroidea, superfamily name (attributed to S. P. Welles).