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Glite Dictionary
family Scincidae

family Scincidae

9.3
A large group of lizards with smooth shiny scales found worldwide
  • noun
  • /ˈfæmɪli ˈsɪŋkɪdeɪ/
  • Specialized
: familia Scincidae
  • Many members of the family Scincidae have shiny, smooth scales and reduced limbs.

Examples

  • The family Scincidae includes lizards that are found on nearly every continent.

  • Scientists have identified hundreds of species within the family Scincidae.

  • The family Scincidae includes many species of lizards.

  • Did you know that the family Scincidae is found worldwide?

  • Scientists have identified hundreds of species within the family Scincidae.

  • Many members of the family Scincidae have shiny, smooth scales and reduced limbs.

  • The family Scincidae includes lizards that are found on nearly every continent.

Synonyms

Scincidae
vsfamily Scincidae
  • Specialized
9.9

A family of lizards with smooth, shiny scales often called skinks

highlights worldwide distribution and large number of species

Surface Forms

family Scincidae singular
families Scincidae plural

Morphology

family + Scincidae

The phrase simply combines the noun 'family' (a taxonomic grouping) with the scientific name 'Scincidae' to mean 'the taxonomic family called Scincidae'. This is fully compositional and follows common cross-linguistic scientific naming patterns, so a learner who knows both constituents can readily infer the meaning.

Etymology

Family Scincidae takes its name from the ancient Greek word 'skinkos' for a small shiny lizard and the ending '-idae' used to name groups of related animals, so Scincidae literally means the 'family' of 'skinks'.