Definition

1. Adjective:
   • Having relatively long jaws: Describes a creature, typically a fish, whose lower jaw or jaws extend noticeably beyond the average length for its kind.

Usage Examples

• Adjective:
  • The long-jawed gar is a prehistoric-looking fish found in North American rivers.
  • Scientists studied the fossil of a long-jawed reptile to understand its feeding habits.

Advanced Usage

• Descriptive Zoology: The term is primarily used in zoological and ichthyological contexts to classify and describe species based on a distinct anatomical feature.
  • The long-jawed spider is known for its specialized web-building technique.

Variants and Related Words

• Long-jawed is a compound adjective. Its components are:
  • Long (adj.): extending a great distance.
  • Jawed (adj.): having a jaw or jaws of a specified kind (e.g., heavy-jawed, weak-jawed).

Synonyms

• Prognathous: (adj.) having projecting jaws.
• Long-snouted: (adj.) having a long nose and jaw area (note: this can imply a different facial structure).

Antonyms

• Short-jawed: (adj.) having relatively short jaws.
• Orthognathous: (adj.) having the jaws in line with the face, not projecting.

Adjective

1. having relatively long jaws