reptile
n. countablen. a cold-blooded animal with scaly skin that lays eggs. Snakes, lizards, and turtles are all common examples.
n. a cold-blooded vertebrate of a class that includes snakes, lizards, crocodiles, turtles, and tortoises. Characterised by skin covered in scales or bony plates and the laying of soft-shelled eggs on land.
The snake is a common reptile found in this desert.
Many people enjoy keeping a reptile as a pet because they are often quiet and do not require daily walks.
The museum's new exhibit features a diverse range of reptile species, highlighting the evolutionary adaptations that allow these creatures to thrive in both arid deserts and tropical rainforests.
From Middle English reptil, from Old French reptile, from Late Latin rēptile, neuter of reptilis (“creeping”), from Latin rēpō (“to creep”), from Proto-Indo-European *rep- (“to creep, slink”) (Pokorny; Watkins, 1969).
Often used as a collective noun to describe the entire class of animals.