Eurypterus

/jʊˈrɪptərəs/ noun

Definition

A genus of extinct sea scorpions that lived in ancient oceans and are important fossils for understanding early marine life.

Etymology

From Greek 'eury-' meaning 'wide' and 'pteron' meaning 'wing' or 'fin', referring to their broad paddles used for swimming.

Kelly Says

Eurypterus fossils are so common in New York State rocks that it's the state fossil, and they tell us that New York was once covered by vast ancient seas teeming with these creatures!

Related Words

Explore More Words

Get the Word Orb API

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