tyrannosaur

American  

[ti-ran-uh-sawr, tahy-] / tɪˈræn əˌsɔr, taɪ- /

noun

1. a large, carnivorous dinosaur, Tyrannosaurus rex, from the Late Cretaceous Epoch of North America, that walked erect on its hind feet.

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tyrannosaur Scientific  

/ tĭ-răn′ə-sôr′ /

1. Any of various very large carnivorous dinosaurs of the genus Tyrannosaurus and related genera of the Cretaceous Period. Tyrannosaurs had very small forelimbs and a large head with sharp teeth. They walked on two legs, probably bent forward with their long tail stretched out as a counterbalance. Tyrannosaurs were theropods and probably distantly related to birds. The largest species, T. rex, grew to lengths of 14.3 m (47 ft) or more and may have been the largest land predator that ever lived.

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Etymology

Origin of tyrannosaur

< New Latin Tyrannosaurus (1905), equivalent to Greek tyranno- (combining form representing týrannos tyrant ) + saûros -saur

Example Sentences

The fossil comes from the famous "Dueling Dinosaurs" discovery in Montana, which preserved two creatures locked in ancient combat -- a Triceratops and a smaller-bodied tyrannosaur.

From Science Daily • Nov. 2, 2025

Mr Voris explained: "That movement back and forth between the continents basically pushed the evolution of different tyrannosaur groups" over millions of years.

From BBC • Jun. 11, 2025

In 1866, the first tyrannosaur, Dryptosaurus, was found less than two miles from the Edelman.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 2, 2025

Some fossils once thought to be candidates for the “Nanotyrannus,” such as a teenage tyrannosaur nicknamed Jane, have turned out to be that of young T. rexes.

From Slate • Jan. 15, 2024

And I thought, Cry Iced!—that's sure going to be one tyrannosaur of a prologue.

From No Great Magic by Leiber, Fritz