mosasaur

noun

mo·​sa·​saur ˈmō-zə-ˌsȯr 

: any of a family (Mosasauridae) of very large extinct marine fish-eating lizards of the Upper Cretaceous with limbs modified into paddles that are related to the recent monitor lizards

Examples of mosasaur in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

An Ancient Sea Monster With ‘Very Robust Teeth’ What set this mosasaur apart from others was its physical design. —Ryan Brennan april 2, Miami Herald, 2 Apr. 2026

Prehistoric heron The researchers point out that all large-bodied secondarily aquatic tetrapods like whales, mosasaurs, or plesiosaurs, are marine. —Jacek Krywko, ArsTechnica, 7 Mar. 2026

In addition to land dinosaurs like Tyrannosaurs and Triceratops, the region was also home to aquatic species like mosasaurs. —Andrew Paul, Popular Science, 12 Dec. 2025

Other grievances include the fact that mosasaurs, the movie’s main species, aren’t actually dinosaurs and that, no, dinosaurs didn’t live to be centuries old because of their big hearts. —The Editors, Vulture, 17 Nov. 2025

Word History

Etymology

New Latin Mosasaurus, from Latin Mosa the river Meuse + Greek sauros lizard

First Known Use

1841, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for mosasaur

• albacore
• alongshore
• antiwar
• anymore
• blastopore
• carnivore
• commodore
• dinosaur
• evermore
• furthermore
• guarantor
• herbivore

Kids Definition

mosasaur

noun

mo·​sa·​saur ˈmō-zə-ˌsȯr 

: any of various very large extinct fish-eating lizards of seas of the Cretaceous period with limbs resembling paddles

Etymology

from Latin Mosa "the River Meuse" and Greek sauros "lizard"