ichthyosaur

The story

1. Ancient Greek · derived fromσαῦρος“lizard”
2. Ancient Greek · derived fromἰχθύς“fish”
3. translingual · borrowed fromIchthyosaurus
4. English todayichthyosaur

Borrowed from translingual Ichthyosaurus, equivalent to Ancient Greek ἰχθύς (ikhthús, “fish”) + Ancient Greek σαῦρος (saûros, “lizard”).

Words from the same roots

First known use, by meaning

• from c. 1830 Any fishlike marine reptiles of the extinct order †Ichthyosauria of the early Triassic to the late Cretaceous period, that had a body somewhat like a porpoise.