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sphenodon

[ sfee-nuh-don, sfen-uh- ]

noun



sphenodon

/ ˈsfiːnəˌdɒn /

noun

  1. the technical name for the tuatara
“Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged” 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012


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Word History and Origins

Origin of sphenodon1

1875–80; < New Latin: genus name (originally Sphaenodon ), equivalent to Greek sphēn- sphen- + -odōn -toothed ( -odont )
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Word History and Origins

Origin of sphenodon1

C19: from Greek sphēn a wedge + odōn a tooth
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Example Sentences

This order includes the living Sphenodon (Hatteria) and various extinct forms.

The bone of the jaws in Sphenodon is so hard that when the teeth get worn away, it can act as a substitute.

The humerus is generally without distinct condyles, but they are well developed in the Theromorpha, the Lacertilia and Sphenodon.

In the young Sphenodon the vomers bear teeth, as they do also in Proterosaurus.

Anyhow, Sphenodon is the reptile which stands nearest to the main stem of our ancestry.

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spheno-sphenogram