pelycosaur

P3E1L1Y4C3O1S1A1U1R1

noun

Any of a group of basal or primitive Late Paleozoic synapsid amniotes, part of a polyphyletic grade, formerly regarded as order Pelycosauria.

OriginAncient Greek πέλυξ →
Scrabble 17
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Meanings

nounpelycosaur (plural pelycosaurs)

plural pelycosaurs

  1. Any of a group of basal or primitive Late Paleozoic synapsid amniotes, part of a polyphyletic grade, formerly regarded as order Pelycosauria.

Origin

  1. Ancient Greekπέλυξ“bowl, axe”
  2. Englishpelycosaur

Ancient Greek πέλυξ (pélux, “bowl, axe”) and σαῦρος (saûros, “lizard”).

More words from Ancient Greek

Full word history & related roots →
Cite this entry
APA

pelycosaur. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/pelycosaur

MLA

“pelycosaur.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/pelycosaur. Accessed November 3, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “pelycosaur,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/pelycosaur.

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