caecilian

English

Mexican burrowing caecilian (Dermophis mexicanus)

Etymology

From Latin caecus (“blind”).

Pronunciation

• (Received Pronunciation) IPA^(key): /sɪˈsɪlɪən/
• Homophone: Sicilian

Noun

caecilian (plural caecilians)

1. Any of a group of burrowing amphibians of the order Gymnophiona that resemble earthworms or snakes.
   • 2018, Tim Flannery, Europe: A Natural History, page 50:

     Today we have just three major lineages of amphibians - the anurans (frogs and toads), the newts and salamanders, and the worm-like caecilians, all of which can trace their ancestry back to long before the dinosaurs.

Derived terms

• São Paulo caecilian

Translations

amphibian

• Dutch: wormsalamander (nl) m
• Italian: gimnofione m
• Navajo: łeeyiʼ chʼoshtsoh binááʼ hólónígíí
• Portuguese: cecília f
• Russian: червяга (ru) f (červjaga), червяги f pl (červjagi)
• Slovene: sleporil m
• Swedish: maskgroddjur n
• Vietnamese: ếch giun