anapsid

a·nap·sid

 (ə-năp′sĭd)

n.

Any of a group of chiefly extinct reptiles that first emerged in the early Permian Period and are characterized by a skull with no openings in the temporal region. Modern turtles and tortoises may be surviving members of this group, or they may be descendants of diapsids that lost their skull openings.

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[New Latin Anapsida, former subclass name : an- + Greek hapsis, hapsid-, arch (in reference to their lack of temporal openings); see apsis.]

American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright © 2016 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

Thesaurus

Noun

1.

anapsid - primitive reptile having no opening in the temporal region of the skull; all extinct except turtles anapsid reptile reptile, reptilian - any cold-blooded vertebrate of the class Reptilia including tortoises, turtles, snakes, lizards, alligators, crocodiles, and extinct forms Anapsida, subclass Anapsida - oldest known reptiles; turtles and extinct Permian forms chelonian, chelonian reptile - a reptile of the order Chelonia diapsid, diapsid reptile - reptile having a pair of openings in the skull behind each eye

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