ankylosaur

noun

an·​ky·​lo·​saur ˈaŋ-kə-lō-ˌsȯr How to pronounce ankylosaur (audio)
: any of a suborder (Ankylosauria) of herbivorous Cretaceous ornithiscian dinosaurs having a long low-lying thickset body covered dorsally with bony plates

Examples of ankylosaur in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web The head of the ankylosaur still partly encased in the concretion it was discovered in. Jeanne Timmons, Ars Technica, 25 Jan. 2023 A number of other ankylosaurs have been preserved in this manner, albeit not as well as Borealopelta. Jeanne Timmons, Ars Technica, 25 Jan. 2023 One glass case contains bits of armor and bone from an unknown ankylosaur that Mr. LuJan discovered on his West Texas ranch in 2017, and which paleontologists from the Denver Museum of Nature & Science are studying. Asher Elbein Nina Riggio, New York Times, 17 July 2023 The novel spikey ankylosaur was named after influential vertebrae paleontologist Professor Paul Barrett at London's Natural History Museum. Elizabeth Gamillo, Discover Magazine, 19 June 2023 After further analysis, researchers revealed that the skeleton belongs to a new kind of armored dinosaur dubbed Stegouros elengassen, a species of ankylosaur that roamed the Earth about 72 to 75 million years ago. Elizabeth Gamillo, Smithsonian Magazine, 2 Dec. 2021 Instead of only a defensive function, then, the unique arrangement of scutes on Desmatosuchus may have played a social role and allowed these animals to recognize each other and size each other up, just as paleontologists expect the much later ankylosaurs did. Riley Black, Smithsonian Magazine, 22 Mar. 2023 Researchers believe the injuries were caused when another ankylosaur slammed its tail club into the dinosaur. Ashley Strickland, CNN, 9 Dec. 2022 According to the scientists, the pattern and the placement of the injuries on the sides of the body indicate that they were sustained in a scuffle involving another ankylosaur and its tail, rather than a predatory attack. Sam Walters, Discover Magazine, 7 Dec. 2022

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'ankylosaur.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

borrowed from New Latin ankylosaur-, base of the taxa Ankylosaurus ankylosaurus, Ankylosauridae (from Anykylosaurus + -idae -idae), and Ankylosauria (from Ankylosaurus + -ia -ia entry 2)

First Known Use

1908, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of ankylosaur was in 1908

Dictionary Entries Near ankylosaur

Cite this Entry

“Ankylosaur.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/ankylosaur. Accessed 28 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

ankylosaur

noun
an·​ky·​lo·​saur ˈaŋ-kə-lō-ˌsȯr How to pronounce ankylosaur (audio)
: any of several plant-eating dinosaurs of the Cretaceous period having a thickset body with bony plates covering the back

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