tyrannosaur

noun ty·ran·no·saur \ tə-ˈra-nə-ˌsȯr , tī- \

Updated on: 15 May 2018

Definition of tyrannosaur

1 : a massive North American tyrannosaurid (Tyrannosaurus rex)

2 : tyrannosaurid

Recent Examples of tyrannosaur from the Web

Lunch date: Being an apex predator doesn’t mean that the tyrannosaurs were only hunting down and eating live prey.

— grace wong, chicagotribune.com, "What do a sommelier, a Bears lineman and a penguin eat for lunch?," 26 Apr. 2018
Further work will determine whether the team actually has a T. rex on their hands, or possibly a Nanotyrannus, a tiny genus of tyrannosaur that's a matter of scientific debate.

— sarah gibbens, National Geographic, "Is This Fossil a Baby T. Rex or a Controversial ‘Nano’ Dinosaur?," 30 Mar. 2018
Over the course of February, the tyrannosaur will be deconstructed, spirited upstairs to its new home in the museum's former 3-D theater on the second floor and then remounted in place for an unveiling in early 2019.

— steve johnson and phil geib, chicagotribune.com, "The dismantling of Sue the T. rex at the Field Museum," 3 Feb. 2018
Since there is ample evidence to suggest that earlier tryannosaurs had feathers, the study’s conclusions would mean that tyrannosaurs evolved a feathery coat, only to eventually lose it.

— brigit katz, Smithsonian, "T. Rex Was Likely Covered in Scales, Not Feathers," 8 June 2017
Ever since, scientists regularly included the fossil, which was clearly a tyrannosaur, in their analyses of the group.

— National Geographic, "This Is Our Best Look Yet at a Tyrannosaur’s Face," 30 Mar. 2017
A new tyrannosaur with evidence with evidence for anagenesis and crocodile-like facial sensory system.

— darren naish, Scientific American Blog Network, "The Sensitive Face of a Big Predatory Dinosaur," 16 June 2017
Evidence of feathers was discovered on the fossils of earlier tyrannosaurs, leading scientists to believe that the king of the dinos may have boasted fluffy plumage.

— brigit katz, Smithsonian, "T. Rex Was Likely Covered in Scales, Not Feathers," 8 June 2017
In 2014, a commercial fossil company was digging for tyrannosaur skeletons in a giant Montana quarry when one of its pit-loaders accidentally bumped into the tail of a very different dinosaur.

— ed yong, The Atlantic, "Meet Zuul, Destroyer of Shins—a Dinosaur Named After Ghostbusters," 10 May 2017

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'tyrannosaur.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Origin and Etymology of tyrannosaur

New Latin Tyrannosaurus, from Greek tyrannos tyrant + sauros lizard

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: 1924

in the meaning defined at sense 1

See Words from the same year

TYRANNOSAUR Defined for Kids

tyrannosaur

noun ty·ran·no·saur \ tə-ˈra-nə-ˌsȯr , tī- \

Definition of tyrannosaur for Students

: a very large North American meat-eating dinosaur that had small forelegs and walked on its hind legs

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See words that rhyme with tyrannosaur Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about tyrannosaur

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