litoptern

L1I1T1O1P3T1E1R1N1
UK/lɪˈtɒptəːn/

noun

An extinct hoofed mammal of the order †Litopterna, from the Cenozoic period.

OriginAncient Greek λῑτός →
First used 19th c.Scrabble 11
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Meanings

nounlitoptern (plural litopterns)

plural litopterns

  1. biologyAn extinct hoofed mammal of the order †Litopterna, from the Cenozoic period.First known use 19th c.

    [C]ertain litopterns like the camel-like Macrauchenia also lived on until within 15,000 years before the present.

    2022, Thomas Halliday, Otherworlds, Penguin, published 2023, page 73

Origin

  1. Ancient Greekλῑτός“smooth”
  2. Englishlitoptern

From modern Latin Litopterna (order name), from Ancient Greek λῑτός (lītós, “smooth”) + πτέρνη (ptérnē, “heel-bone”).

More words from Ancient Greek

Full word history & related roots →

Rhymes & wordplay

Anagrams

tripletontrilepton
Cite this entry
APA

litoptern. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 2, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/litoptern

MLA

“litoptern.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/litoptern. Accessed November 2, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “litoptern,” accessed November 2, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/litoptern.

Source: litoptern on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.