Anurous

/əˈnʊr.əs/ adjective

Definition

Having no tail, or lacking a tail; used to describe frogs, toads, and other tailless amphibians.

Etymology

From Greek 'a-' (without) plus 'oura' (tail) with the adjectival suffix '-ous', literally meaning 'without-tail-like'.

Kelly Says

Most vertebrates have tails, so anurous amphibians are actually evolutionary rebels—they ditched tails entirely because hopping and jumping work better than wiggling when you're hunting insects and need quick getaways.

Related Words

Explore More Words

Get the Word Orb API

Complete word intelligence in one call. Free tier — 50 lookups/day.