noun ·Rare ·Advanced level

Definitions

Noun

1. 1
   Any of several synapsids of the genus Edaphosaurus, from the Carboniferous and Permian periods, that had a distinctive dorsal sail or crest.
2. 2
   heavy-bodied reptile with a dorsal sail or crest; of the late Paleozoic wordnet

Etymology

From Ancient Greek ἔδαφος (édaphos, “ground, soil”) + -saurus. By surface analysis, edapho- + -saurus.

Data sourced from Wiktionary, WordNet, CMU, and other open linguistic databases. Updated March 2026.