REPTILE


Meaning of REPTILE in English

■ noun

1》 a cold-blooded vertebrate animal of a class (Reptilia) that includes snakes, lizards, crocodiles, turtles, and tortoises, typically having a dry scaly skin and laying soft-shelled eggs on land.

2》 informal a person regarded with loathing and contempt.

Derivatives

reptilian adjective &noun

Origin

ME: from late L., neut. of reptilis , from L. rept- , repere 'crawl'.

Concise Oxford English vocab.      Сжатый оксфордский словарь английского языка.