megatherian
- noun
- /ˌmɛɡəˈθɪəriən/
- Specialized
:
megaterio
- The megatherian was one of the largest ground sloths that roamed the earth millions of years ago.
Examples
-
Fossils of the megatherian have been discovered in caves across South America.
-
It's a perfectly passable dirt road, God knows, but Big Link is a megatherian, a great sloth upon these sands.
Fiction book (2002) -
Scientists believe that the megatherian could weigh up to three tons and stand over ten feet tall.
Synonyms
1
9.6
A very large extinct mammal with long claws that lived on land in the Americas long ago
A very large ground sloth that lived in South and Central America and is now extinct
A large extinct ground sloth from South America that lived during the Ice Age
A very large extinct animal like a ground sloth that lived in ancient America
Compounds
- Specialized
A large extinct ground sloth from South America that lived during the Ice Age
Surface Forms
Morphology
megatherian = Megatherium (opaque) = Megatherium + an
The word is a technical taxonomic derivative from the genus name Megatherium, so its meaning is not recoverable for an average B1 learner from the base alone.
Etymology
Megatherian comes from the Greek parts mega- 'large' and therion 'beast'. So megatherian means 'large beast', which helps you remember it is the name for the giant, now extinct ground sloths of South America that could be as big as an elephant.