reptile

noun

rep·tile | \ ˈrep-ˌtī(-ə)l

, -tᵊl\

Definition of reptile

(Entry 1 of 2)

1 : an animal that crawls or moves on its belly (such as a snake) or on small short legs (such as a lizard)

2 : any of a class (Reptilia) of cold-blooded, air-breathing, usually egg-laying vertebrates that include the alligators and crocodiles, lizards, snakes, turtles, and extinct related forms (such as dinosaurs and pterosaurs) and that have a body typically covered with scales or bony plates and a bony skeleton with a single occipital condyle, a distinct quadrate bone usually immovably articulated with the skull, and ribs attached to the sternum

3 : a groveling or despised person

reptile

adjective

Definition of reptile (Entry 2 of 2)

: characteristic of a reptile : reptilian

Synonyms Example Sentences Learn More about reptile

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Synonyms for reptile

Synonyms: Noun

bastard, beast, bleeder [British], blighter [chiefly British], boor, bounder, bugger, buzzard, cad, chuff, churl, clown, creep, cretin, crud [slang], crumb [slang], cur, dirtbag [slang], dog, fink, heel, hound, jerk, joker, louse, lout, pill, rat, rat fink, rotter, schmuck [slang], scum, scumbag [slang], scuzzball [slang], skunk, sleaze, sleazebag [slang], sleazeball [slang], slime, slimeball [slang], slob, snake, so-and-so, sod [chiefly British], stinkard, stinker, swine, toad, varmint, vermin

Examples of reptile in a Sentence

Noun

He called the governor's top aide a reptile. the actor plays a total reptile who's somehow still a hit with the ladies

Recent Examples on the Web: Noun

And as Gretchen Vogel for Science, paleontologists initially thought the fossil was an amalgamation of two animals: a small bird’s body with a marine reptile’s jaw. — Julissa Treviño, Smithsonian, "3-D Scans of Fossil Beaks Show How Modern Birds Came to Be," 4 May 2018 With males growing up to 15 feet in length, and females up to ten feet, these massive reptiles won’t be hard to spot with the help of a guide (like those at Down South Airboat Tours). — Tyler Moss, Condé Nast Traveler, "8 Best Places to See Wildlife in the U.S.," 23 Apr. 2018 Rumors and a photo of an alligator swimming through Camden Lake drew crowds to Elk Grove over the weekend, but state officials say people who swamped the nearby residential neighborhood were chasing a reptile thousands of miles away. — Benjy Egel, sacbee, "State officials say giant gator sighting in Elk Grove was a hoax | The Sacramento Bee," 16 Apr. 2018 The bones of a gigantic prehistoric aquatic reptile have been discovered in England. — David Grossman, Popular Mechanics, "Newfound Marine Fossil May Be From the Largest Creature That Ever Lived," 10 Apr. 2018 Guests can see a variety of birds, bugs, mammals and reptiles during the show. — Chris Sims, Indianapolis Star, "Here are 36 free things to do with your kids around Indy in July," 26 June 2018 The performer hits the carpet in an oxblood velvet shirt over a matching bra and reptile-embossed leather skirt (all Roberto Cavalli) with over-the-knee boots. — Lindy Segal, PEOPLE.com, "All the Standout Style at the 2018 Billboard Music Awards," 20 May 2018 This all may have been an elaborate joke, but watching Hamm and Fallon try to ignore a mobile reptile while remaining in overly-dramatic character is a thing of brilliance. — Sarah Lindig, Marie Claire, "Jon Hamm and Jimmy Fallon Get Dramatic in 'Turtle Soap Opera' Sketch on 'The Tonight Show'," 15 Oct. 2016 Six others had wear that suggested the tools had been used to scrape hides, which could have been mammal, reptile, or fish. — Kiona N. Smith, Ars Technica, "Small Mayan saltworks could have supplied thousands, preserved food," 9 Oct. 2018

Recent Examples on the Web: Adjective

And hey, anything is possible — well, maybe not reptile babies. — De Elizabeth, Teen Vogue, "The Most Ridiculous Taylor Swift Conspiracy Theories," 28 Aug. 2017 Reptile world An exploration of snakes, lizards and their relatives. — Jillian S. Jarrett, Washington Post, "What’s happening in Prince George's County," 26 July 2017

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'reptile.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

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Last Updated

19 Apr 2019

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Time Traveler for reptile

The first known use of reptile was in the 14th century

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More Definitions for reptile

reptile

noun

English Language Learners Definition of reptile

: an animal (such as a snake, lizard, turtle, or alligator) that has cold blood, that lays eggs, and that has a body covered with scales or hard parts

informal : a person who cannot be trusted or who is not likable

See the full definition for reptile in the English Language Learners Dictionary

reptile

noun

rep·tile | \ ˈrep-təl

, -ˌtīl\