First Known Use: 14th century
Dictionary
1reptile
noun rep·tile \ˈrep-ˌtī(-ə)l, -təl\
: an animal (such as a snake, lizard, turtle, or alligator) that has cold blood, that lays eggs, and that has a body covered with scales or hard parts
: a person who cannot be trusted or who is not likable
Full Definition of REPTILE
1
: an animal that crawls or moves on its belly (as a snake) or on small short legs (as a lizard)
2
: any of a class (Reptilia) of air-breathing vertebrates that include the alligators and crocodiles, lizards, snakes, turtles, and extinct related forms (as dinosaurs and pterosaurs) and are characterized by a completely ossified skeleton with a single occipital condyle, a distinct quadrate bone usually immovably articulated with the skull, ribs attached to the sternum, and a body usually covered with scales or bony plates
3
: a groveling or despised person
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Origin of REPTILE
Middle English reptil, from Middle French or Late Latin; Middle French reptile (feminine), from Late Latin reptile (neuter), from neuter of reptilis creeping, from Latin reptus, past participle of repere to crawl; akin to Lithuanian rėplioti to crawl
Related to REPTILE
- Synonyms
- bastard, beast, bleeder [British], blighter [chiefly British], boor, bounder, bugger, buzzard, cad, chuff, churl, clown, creep, cretin, crud [slang], crumb [slang], cur, dirtbag [slang], dog, fink, heel, hound, joker, louse, lout, pill, rat, rat fink, jerk, rotter, schmuck [slang], scum, scumbag [slang], scuzzball [slang], skunk, sleaze, sleazebag [slang], sleazeball [slang], slime, slimeball [slang], slob, snake, so-and-so, sod [chiefly British], stinkard, stinker, swine, toad, varmint, vermin
2reptile
adjective
REPTILE Defined for Kids
reptile
noun rep·tile \ˈrep-təl, -ˌtīl\
Definition of REPTILE for Kids
: a cold-blooded animal (as a snake, lizard, turtle, or alligator) that breathes air and usually has the skin covered with scales or bony plates
Word History of REPTILE
Most of the animals we call reptiles creep or crawl about. Some, like snakes, crawl about on their bellies. Some, like lizards, creep about on little, short legs. The English word reptile came from a Latin word reptilis that meant “creeping,” which is derived from the verb repere meaning “to crawl.”
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