rep·tile
ˈrep-ˌtī(-ə)l
-tᵊl
1
: an animal that crawls or moves on its belly (such as a snake) or on small short legs (such as a lizard)
2
: any of a class (Reptilia) of cold-blooded, air-breathing, usually egg-laying vertebrates that include the alligators and crocodiles, lizards, snakes, turtles, and extinct related forms (such as dinosaurs and pterosaurs) and that have a body typically covered with scales or bony plates and a bony skeleton with a single occipital condyle, a distinct quadrate bone usually immovably articulated with the skull, and ribs attached to the sternum
3
: a groveling or despised person
Cite this Entry
“Reptile.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/reptile. Accessed 7 Jul. 2026.
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