Meanings
- not comparablebiologyOf or pertaining to the Crossopterygii, an infraclass of bony fish.First known use 19th c.
One consequence was that the crossopterygian fishes (distantly related to the famous ‘living fossil’ coelacanth Latimeria) were dethroned from their privileged position as ancestors.
2000, Richard Fortey, “No Such Thing as a Fish”, in London Review of Books, volume 22, number 13
plural crossopterygians
- biologyOne of the Crossopterygii.
Synonyms & antonyms
nounany fish of the order Crossopterygii; most known only in fossil form
Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.
Origin
From Crossopterygia + -an, Greek krossoí “tassels, fringe” + -o- + pterýgion “little wing or fin,” equivalent to pteryg- (stem of pterýx) “wing, fin” + -ion + -an.
Full word history & related roots →Cite this entry
crossopterygian. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/crossopterygian
“crossopterygian.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/crossopterygian. Accessed November 3, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “crossopterygian,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/crossopterygian.
Source: crossopterygian on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.