chelonian
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- noun
- /kəˈloʊniən/
- Specialized
:
quelonio
- The zoo has a special exhibit dedicated to rare chelonian species, including giant tortoises.
Examples
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The word chelonian, an umbrella term covering turtles, tortoises, and terrapins, is increasingly popular among scientists, conservationists, hobbyists, and veterinarians working with these animals.
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Thus circumventing the reason for the current laws regarding turtles/chelonians under 4 inches.
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In American English, it is common to refer to all freshwater chelonians as turtles.
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Researchers studied the behavior of various chelonian animals to understand their nesting habits.
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In her presentation, she discussed the adaptations of chelonian reptiles and their importance in the ecosystem.
Synonyms
385
1.0
An animal with a hard shell that lives in water or on land
Surface Forms
Morphology
chelonian = Chelonia (semi-transparent) = cheloni + an
The word is a taxonomic derivative of Chelonia with the regular English suffix -an, but the base name is specialized and not very accessible to ordinary learners.
Etymology
Chelonian comes from the old Greek word chelone, which means 'tortoise', so a chelonian is simply a turtle or tortoise, the kind of animal you know by its hard shell.