Definitions for tuataraˌtu əˈtɑr ə; -ˈtɛər ə
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Random House Webster's College Dictionary
tu•a•ta•raˌtu əˈtɑr ə; -ˈtɛər ə(n.)(pl.)-ras.
also tu•a•te•ra
a large lizardlike reptile, Sphenodon punctatus, of New Zealand: the only surviving rhynchocephalian.
Category: Reptiles and Amphibians
Origin of tuatara:
1810–20;< Maori, =tua dorsal +tara spine
Princeton's WordNet
tuatara, Sphenodon punctatum(noun)
only extant member of the order Rhynchocephalia of large spiny lizard-like diapsid reptiles of coastal islands off New Zealand
Wiktionary
tuatara(Noun)
Either of two reptiles, Sphenodon punctatus or Sphenodon guntheri, native to New Zealand, that resemble lizards.
Origin: From tuatara.
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