Word Pronunciation & Dictionary

crossopterygian

Word Rarity Very rare

Frequency: Zipf frequency 0.00 in modern English

Syllables: crossoptery-gian
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Meaning

adj

Of or pertaining to the Crossopterygii, an infraclass of bony fish.

noun

One of the Crossopterygii.

Example Sentences

"One consequence was that the crossopterygian fishes (distantly related to the famous ‘living fossil’ coelacanth Latimeria) were dethroned from their privileged position as ancestors."

Etymology

From Crossopterygia + -an, Greek krossoí “tassels, fringe” + -o- + pterýgion “little wing or fin,” equivalent to pteryg- (stem of pterýx) “wing, fin” + -ion + -an.

Word Breakdown

Suffix: an

Inflected Forms

crossopterygians (plural)

Synonyms

lobefin lobe-finned fish

Questions

What does crossopterygian mean?: Of or pertaining to the Crossopterygii, an infraclass of bony fish.
Where does crossopterygian come from?: From Crossopterygia + -an, Greek krossoí “tassels, fringe” + -o- + pterýgion “little wing or fin,” equivalent to pteryg- (stem of pterýx) “wing, fin” + -ion + -an.

How to pronounce crossopterygian

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