caecilian

cae·ci·lian

noun \si-ˈsil-yən, -ˈsēl-, -ˈsi-lē-ən\

Definition of CAECILIAN

: any of an order (Gymnophiona) of chiefly tropical burrowing limbless amphibians resembling worms

— caecilian adjective

Origin of CAECILIAN

ultimately from Latin caecilia slowworm, from caecus blind

First Known Use: circa 1879

Rhymes with CAECILIAN

Basilian, reptilian, Virgilian

caecilian

noun    (Concise Encyclopedia)

Any of 155 species of wormlike amphibians found in humid regions from Mexico to northern Argentina and in Africa, Southeast Asia, and the Seychelles. The elongate, ringed, limbless body is 4–60 in. (10–150 cm) long. Colour ranges from blackish to pinkish tan. The tiny eyes are covered by skin and often by bone. A chemosensory projection lies between the eye and nostril. Some species lay eggs, which are guarded by the female and hatch into free-living larvae; other species bear live young. Caecilians spend their lives underground and eat worms and insects.