Pl. -a. [mod. f. L. terra earth, after aquarium. Also in Fr. (1873, in Littré, Suppl.) and Ger. (Meyer, Conv. Lex.).] A vivarium for land animals; esp. a glass case, or the like, in which small land animals are kept under scientific observation.
1883. Zoologist, VII. 107. A great many of the European species [of snakes] are said to be represented in this terrarium.
1890. Science, 10 Jan., 24/2. [He] describes the ways of a snake,… which he kept in his terrarium in Zurich.
1895. Proc. Zool. Soc. Lond., 160. Usually after they have lived for some time in the terrarium they get dark spots, especially on the sides of the body.
