Definition of brontosaurus
: any of a genus (Apatosaurus) of very large sauropod dinosaurs of the Late Jurassic : apatosaurus ◆The name brontosaurus continues to be commonly used for these dinosaurs even though their former genus name (Brontosaurus) is considered invalid.
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Recent Examples of brontosaurus from the Web
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NEW HAVEN- 4/14/15-hc-brontosaurus-renaming-0415- Leo Vanags of West Hartford looks up at the Brontosaurus in the Great Hall with his grandmother, Janet Vanags of Tifton, Ga, right, Tuesday.
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The group with reptile-like hips is called Saurischia (saw-RIS’-kee-a), and includes the brontosaurus.
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Minds of Their Own A design, like the silhouette of a brontosaurus, is input into a computer and the robots immediately start positioning themselves and changing color to recreate that image in physical form.
These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'brontosaurus.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Origin and Etymology of brontosaurus
New Latin, from Greek brontē thunder + sauros lizard; akin to Greek bremein to roar
BRONTOSAURUS Defined for English Language Learners
brontosaurus
playDefinition of brontosaurus for English Language Learners
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: a very large dinosaur that had a long neck and tail
BRONTOSAURUS Defined for Kids
brontosaurus
playDefinition of brontosaurus for Students
: a huge plant-eating dinosaur with a long neck and tail and four thick legs
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