Vocabulary

rep·tile

rep·tile

\ˈrep-ˌtī(-ə)l, -təl\

noun

: an animal (such as a snake, lizard, turtle, oralligator) that has cold blood, that lays eggs, and that has a body covered with scales orhard parts: a person who cannot be trusted or who is not likable

Full Definition

1 : an animal that crawls or moves on its belly(as a snake) or on small short legs (as a lizard)2 : any of a class (Reptilia) of air-breathingvertebrates that include the alligators andcrocodiles, lizards, snakes, turtles, and extinctrelated forms (as dinosaurs and pterosaurs) and are characterized by a completely ossifiedskeleton with a single occipital condyle, adistinct quadrate bone usually immovablyarticulated with the skull, ribs attached to thesternum, and a body usually covered withscales or bony plates3 : a groveling or despised person

Origin: Middle English reptil, from MiddleFrench or Late Latin; Middle French reptile(feminine), from Late Latin reptile (neuter),from neuter of reptilis creeping, from Latinreptus, past participle of repere to crawl; akinto Lithuanian rėplioti to crawl.

First use: 14th century

Synonyms: 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, joker,louse, lout, pill, rat, rat fink, jerk, rotter,schmuck [slang], scum, scumbag [slang],scuzzball [slang], skunk, sleaze, sleazebag [slang], sleazeball [slang], slime, slimeball [slang], slob, snake, so-and-so, sod [chieflyBritish], stinkard, stinker, swine, toad, varmint,vermin

2

reptile

adjective

: characteristic of a reptile : reptilian

First use: 1607

Synonyms: 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, joker,louse, lout, pill, rat, rat fink, jerk, rotter,schmuck [slang], scum, scumbag [slang],scuzzball [slang], skunk, sleaze, sleazebag [slang], sleazeball [slang], slime, slimeball [slang], slob, snake, so-and-so, sod [chieflyBritish], stinkard, stinker, swine, toad, varmint,vermin