Archelon

noun

Ar·​che·​lon

ˈärkəˌlän

: a genus of very large extinct marine turtles from the Cretaceous of South Dakota having a well-developed plastron but poorly developed carapace

Word History

Etymology

New Latin, probably irregular from archi- + Greek chelōnē tortoise; akin to Greek chelys tortoise

Love words?

You must — there are over 200,000 words in our free online dictionary, but you are looking for one that’s only in the Merriam-Webster Unabridged Dictionary.

Start your free trial today and get unlimited access to America's largest dictionary, with:

• More than 250,000 words that aren't in our free dictionary
• Expanded definitions, etymologies, and usage notes
• Advanced search features
• Ad free!