TUATARA
tuatara, Sphenodon punctatum
(noun) only extant member of the order Rhynchocephalia of large spiny lizard-like diapsid reptiles of coastal islands off New Zealand
Source: WordNet® 3.1
Etymology
Noun
tuatara (plural tuataras or tuatara)
Either of two reptiles, Sphenodon punctatus and Sphenodon guntheri, native to New Zealand, that resemble lizards.
Source: Wiktionary
Tu`a*ta"ra, n. [Maori tuatĂ ra; tua on the farther side (the back) + tara spine.]
Definition: A large iguanalike reptile (Sphenodon punctatum) formerly common in New Zealand, but now confined to certain islets near the coast. It reaches a length of two and a half feet, is dark olive- green with small white or yellowish specks on the sides, and has yellow spines along the back, except on the neck.
Source: Webster’s Unabridged Dictionary 1913 Edition
Recent Word Finds
Word of the Day
31 March 2025
IMPROVISED
(adjective) done or made using whatever is available; “crossed the river on improvised bridges”; “the survivors used jury-rigged fishing gear”; “the rock served as a makeshift hammer”
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