archosaurian

ar·cho·saur

 (är′kə-sôr′)

n.

Any of various vertebrates of the group Archosauria, having a single opening in each side of the skull in front of the eye socket, and including the dinosaurs, birds, pterosaurs, and modern crocodilians.

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[New Latin Archosauria, subclass name : Greek arkhos, ruler + Greek sauros, lizard.]

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ar′cho·saur′i·an n. & adj.

archosaurian

(ˌɑːkəˈsɔːrɪən)

adj

belonging to or characteristic of the archosaurs

Thesaurus

Noun	1.	archosaurian - extinct reptiles including: dinosaurs; plesiosaurs; pterosaurs; ichthyosaurs; thecodonts archosaur, archosaurian reptile diapsid, diapsid reptile - reptile having a pair of openings in the skull behind each eye Archosauria, subclass Archosauria - a large subclass of diapsid reptiles including: crocodiles; alligators; dinosaurs; pterosaurs; plesiosaurs; ichthyosaurs; thecodonts dinosaur - any of numerous extinct terrestrial reptiles of the Mesozoic era flying reptile, pterosaur - an extinct reptile of the Jurassic and Cretaceous having a bird-like beak and membranous wings supported by the very long fourth digit of each forelimb thecodont, thecodont reptile - presumably in the common ancestral line to dinosaurs and crocodiles and birds ichthyosaur - any of several marine reptiles of the Mesozoic having a body like a porpoise with dorsal and tail fins and paddle-shaped limbs plesiosaur, plesiosaurus - extinct marine reptile with a small head on a long neck a short tail and four paddle-shaped limbs; of the Jurassic and Cretaceous nothosaur - extinct marine reptile with longer more slender limbs than plesiosaurs and less completely modified for swimming
Adj.	1.	archosaurian - of or relating to reptiles of the subclass Archosauria