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Glite Dictionary
suborder Ophidia

suborder Ophidia

9.9
An old scientific group used to classify snakes
  • noun
  • /ˈsʌbˌɔrdər oʊˈfɪdiə/
  • Archaic
translation icon : suborden Ophidia
  • Taxonomists once classified all snakes under the suborder Ophidia.

Examples

  • Did you know that the suborder Ophidia is part of the order Squamata?

  • The extinct genus appears in fossil records as part of the suborder Ophidia.

  • Modern classifications have largely replaced the use of suborder Ophidia in herpetology.

  • The suborder Ophidia includes all known snakes.

  • Taxonomists once classified all snakes under the suborder Ophidia.

  • Modern classifications have largely replaced the use of suborder Ophidia in herpetology.

  • The suborder Ophidia includes all known snakes.

Synonyms

Ophidia
vssuborder Ophidia
  • Archaic
9.9

A group of animals that includes all snakes

is the older classification name used historically rather than the modern designation
suborder Serpentes
vssuborder Ophidia
  • Specialized
9.8

A group of reptiles that includes all snakes with long, legless bodies

is a historical classification used before modern taxonomic placement
Serpentes
vssuborder Ophidia
  • Specialized
9.9

A group of reptiles made up of all snakes

is the historical grouping name rather than the current scientific label

Surface Forms

suborder Ophidia singular
suborders Ophidia plural

Morphology

suborder + Ophidia

The phrase combines 'suborder' (a taxonomic rank) with 'Ophidia' (the group of snakes), so the meaning—a taxonomic subgroup consisting of snakes—is directly derivable from the constituents. Taxonomic naming is a compositional, cross-linguistic pattern, so a learner who knows both words would readily understand the expression.

Etymology

Suborder Ophidia comes from Greek words. Ophidia comes from a Greek word for 'snake' and suborder means a 'group' below an order, so the name was used to refer to the scientific 'group' of snakes.