Definition of dinosaur
1 : any of a group (Dinosauria) of extinct often very large chiefly terrestrial carnivorous or herbivorous reptiles of the Mesozoic era
2 : any of various large extinct reptiles (such as ichthyosaurs) other than the true dinosaurs
3 : one that is impractically large, out-of-date, or obsolete The factory is now a rusting dinosaur.
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Examples of dinosaur in a Sentence
The old factory is now a rusting dinosaur.
The character she plays is a dinosaur—a former beauty queen who is living in the past.
Recent Examples of dinosaur from the Web
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This brushlike plant is of a time before there were mammals, before there were dinosaurs, before there even were flowering plants.
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Theoretically, the formula should also work on extinct animals as well, and could give researchers new insights into dinosaur speeds.
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Manning is also curious about other dinosaur species, particularly the biggest of the bunch.
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A. Although very ancient ferns are thought to have been a large part of the diet of sauropod dinosaurs, today ferns are avoided by many vertebrates, including deer.
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Among activities were several set up by Palomar College STEM ambassadors Joe Ayala, Maria Vidaca, and Melvin Mivanda, who talked about fossils and different dinosaurs.
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Descriptions range from a dinosaur-like monster to a giant snake with fins... and thick whiskers.
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Every dinosaur on display probably came out of extinction just to get a better look at this corset.
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In fact, all but the one that killed the dinosaurs were caused by climate change produced by greenhouse gas.
These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'dinosaur.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Origin and Etymology of dinosaur
New Latin Dinosaurus, genus name, from Greek deinos terrifying + sauros lizard — more at dire
DINOSAUR Defined for English Language Learners
dinosaur
playDefinition of dinosaur for English Language Learners
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: one of many reptiles that lived on Earth millions of years ago
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: someone or something that is no longer useful or current : an obsolete or out-of-date person or thing
DINOSAUR Defined for Kids
dinosaur
playDefinition of dinosaur for Students
: any of a group of extinct often very large mostly land-dwelling reptiles that lived millions of years ago
Learn More about dinosaur
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See words that rhyme with dinosaur Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for dinosaur Spanish Central: Translation of dinosaur Nglish: Translation of dinosaur for Spanish speakers Britannica English: Translation of dinosaur for Arabic speakers Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about dinosaur
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