Word Study
chelonia
CIDE DICTIONARY
chelonia, n. pl. [NL., fr. Gr. chelw`nh a tortoise.].
An order of reptiles, including the tortoises and turtles, peculiar in having a part of the vertebræ, ribs, and sternum united with the dermal plates so as to form a firm shell. The jaws are covered by a horny beak. See Reptilia; also, Illust. in Appendix. [1913 Webster]
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