Scincoid

Part of speech: adjective, noun

Definitions

1. Relating to or resembling members of a family of lizards characterized by elongated bodies and reduced limbs; describing features typical of skink-like reptiles; pertaining to the taxonomic group associated with smooth-scaled, burrowing lizards
2. Concerning a type of lizard featuring sleek scales and often short limbs; indicative of characteristics seen in skinks and related species; associated with reptiles exhibiting a streamlined appearance and burrowing habits
3. Referring to reptiles having a form or structure similar to skinks, including elongated shapes and diminished limbs; denoting traits common among scincoid lizards; used to describe animals of a particular group within the lizard family distinguished by smooth scales and terrestrial lifestyle

Etymology: The skink itself goes back to Ancient Greek, where "skíngos" or "skínkos" named a lizard, probably a skink, that was prized in the ancient world as a remedy for sexual weakness and was sold as a powdered medicine. The Romans borrowed the animal name as Latin "scincus," and it came into English as "skink." The "-oid" in "scincoid" is the Greek suffix meaning "resembling," so the word literally means "skink-like." The adjective and noun "scincoid" are built on the Latin stem, combining it with that suffix to describe anything resembling a skink. In zoological use it refers to the broader group of lizards that share the skink's smooth scales, elongated bodies, and reduced limbs, and it is used both to describe features and to name members of that family.

Synonyms: skink-like

Antonyms: non-skin-like