clidastes

noun

cli·​das·​tes

klīˈda(ˌ) stēz

capitalized

: a genus of large extinct North American Cretaceous fish-eating marine lizards in many respects resembling the recent monitors compare mosasaurus , varanidae

Word History

Etymology

New Latin, probably irregular from Greek kleid-, kleis key; akin to Latin claudere to shut

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