Cryptodira

plural noun

Cryp·​to·​di·​ra

ˌkriptəˈdīrə

in some classifications

: a suborder of Thecophora comprising turtles that bend the neck in a vertical plane in order to retract it into the shell

cryptodiran

¦⸗⸗¦⸗rən

adjective or noun

cryptodire

ˈ⸗⸗ˌdī(ə)r

noun

plural -s

cryptodirous

¦⸗⸗¦dīrəs

adjective

Word History

Etymology

New Latin, from crypt- + -dira (from Greek deirē neck); akin to Latin vorare to devour

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