lacertid

English

Etymology 1

A lacertid, Lacerta agilis

From translingual Lacertidae.

Noun

lacertid (plural lacertids)

1. Any lizard of the family Lacertidae.
   • 1993, George R. Zug, Herpetology: An Introductory Biology of Amphibians and Reptiles, page 427:

     Lacertid scalation and body forms are similar to those of the teiids, although lacertids are usually smaller.

   • 2004, Daniel A. Greenberg, Lizards, page 33:

     Lacertids are distinguished by a section of large, flat scales on the undersides of their necks. […] Teiids are the New World counterparts to lacertids.

   • 2006, Eric R. Pianka, Laurie J. Vitt, Lizards: Windows to the Evolution of Diversity, page 206:

     Lacertid teeth are hollow at the base (teiid teeth are solid). Virtually all lacertids are terrestrial or rock-dwelling lizards, although a few species, including Holaspis and Takydromus, climb in vegetation, and at least one species appears to live high in trees.

Synonyms

• (lizard of family Lacertidae): lacerta, true lizard, wall lizard

Etymology 2

From the name of the first discovered example, BL Lacertae.

Alternative forms

• BL Lacertid
• Lacertid

Noun

lacertid (plural lacertids)

1. (astronomy) A type of blazar (highly variable active galactic nucleus) that lacks spectral emission lines characteristic of quasars.
   • 1975 July 10, “Quasars and Lacertids show a family likeness”, in New Scientist, page 61:

     In the same diagram a compact galaxy, 3C 371, and a Seyfert, 3C 120, lie very close to the Lacertids.

   • 1990, Bulletin of the Special Astrophysical Observatory-North Caucasus, volumes 24-26, page 67:

     These reliably variable objects included three ROCOSs (OE 400, OI 090.4, and PI034-293) and two lacertids (AO 0235+164 and OJ 287).

   • 1993, Astronomy Reports, volume 37, American Institute of Physics, page 466:

     We have identified six radio sources in the Zelenchuk (RATAN-600) catalog with two quasars, two lacertids, and two pairs of galaxies.

Synonyms

• (astronomical object): active galactic nucleus, blazar, BL Lac object, BL Lacertae object

Anagrams

• articled