family Pristidae
- noun
- Specialized
- Members of the family Pristidae are easily recognized by their elongated, toothed snouts.
Examples
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The family Pristidae includes several species of sawfishes found in tropical and subtropical waters.
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The family Pristidae includes several species of sawfish.
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Conservation efforts are underway to protect endangered species within the family Pristidae.
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Many scientists study the family Pristidae for their unique adaptations.
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Members of the family Pristidae are easily recognized by their elongated, toothed snouts.
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Conservation efforts are underway to protect endangered species within the family Pristidae.
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The family Pristidae includes several species of sawfishes found in tropical and subtropical waters.
Synonyms
A family of large fish with long saw-like snouts called sawfishes
Surface Forms
Morphology
This is a straightforward taxonomic construction: 'family' signals a scientific grouping and 'Pristidae' names the group (sawfishes), so a learner who knows both constituents will understand it means the family of those rays. Taxonomic phrases are compositional and cross-linguistically similar, making the meaning directly derivable from the parts.
Etymology
Family Pristidae comes from an old word that means 'saw'. These rays have a long, flat nose with teeth that looks like a saw, so the name is used for the group of fish we call sawfishes.