Reptile

Pronunciation

• RP IPA: /ɹɪpˈtaɪl/
• GenAm IPA: /ˈɹɛp.taɪl/
• Rhymes: -aɪl

Origin

Middle English reptil, from Old French reptile, from Late Latin rēptile, neuter of reptilis ("creeping"), from Latin rēpō ("to creep"), from Proto-Indo-European *rep- ("to creep, slink") (Pokorny; Watkins, 1969).

Full definition of reptile

Noun

1. A cold-blooded vertebrate of the class Reptilia.
2. (figuratively) A mean or grovelling person.
• Charles Dickens, The Pickwick Papers"That reptile," whispered Pott, catching Mr. Pickwick by the arm, and pointing towards the stranger. "That reptile — Slurk, of the Independent!"

Hyponyms

Related terms

• mammal-like reptile
• Reptilia
• reptilian
• reptilianness
• reptiliology
• reptiliologist
• reptiliologists http://books.google.ca/books?id=TnYBAAAAYAAJ&pg=PA228&lpg=PA228&dq=%22reptiliologists%22&source=bl&ots=qXCApoFKv0&sig=hR4TkkqpuyWpYqBrshiMLrWzGcQ&hl=en&sa=X&ei=6D_UT4qaF6bS2QXgmvmuDw&ved=0CCEQ6AEwAA#v=onepage&q=%22reptiliologists%22&f=false

Adjective

1. Creeping; moving on the belly, or by means of small and short legs.
2. Grovelling; low; vulgar.a reptile race or crew; reptile vices
• BurkeThere is also a false, reptile prudence, the result not of caution, but of fear.
• ColeridgeAnd dislodge their reptile souls
  From the bodies and forms of men.

Anagrams

• Peltier, perlite