tu·a·ta·ra (t   -tär )n. pl. tuatara or tu·a·ta·ras Either of two nocturnal lizardlike reptiles (Sphenodon punctatus or S. guntheri) that are found only on certain islands off New Zealand and are the only extant members of the Rhynchocephalia, an order that flourished during the Mesozoic Era. Also called sphenodon. [Maori tuatara : tua, back + tara, spine.] |
tuatara [ˌtuːəˈtɑːrə]
n
(Life Sciences & Allied Applications / Animals) a greenish-grey lizard-like rhynchocephalian reptile, Sphenodon punctatus, occurring only on certain small islands near New Zealand: it is the sole surviving member of a group common in Mesozoic times
[from Maori, from tua back + tara spine]
ThesaurusLegend: Synonyms Related Words Antonyms
| Noun | 1. |  tuatara - only extant member of the order Rhynchocephalia of large spiny lizard-like diapsid reptiles of coastal islands off New Zealanddiapsid, diapsid reptile - reptile having a pair of openings in the skull behind each eye genus Sphenodon, Sphenodon - coextensive with the order Rhynchocephalia: tuataras |
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