ceratopsian

[ ser-uh-top-see-uhn ]

noun

1. any of several four-footed, herbivorous dinosaurs of the suborder Ceratopsia, of the late Cretaceous Period, having an enlarged skull with a beak, a large perforated frill at the back, and, in some species, one or three horns.

ceratopsian

/ sĕr′ə-tŏp′sē-ən /

1. Any of various dinosaurs of the group Ceratopsia of the late Jurassic and Cretaceous Periods. Ceratopsians were ornithischians characterized by skulls with a parrotlike beak, a broad bony frill extending back over the neck, and often one or more horns. Most ceratopsians walked on all fours and grew to medium or large size. Triceratops was a ceratopsian.

Word History and Origins

Origin of ceratopsian¹

First recorded in 1905–10; from New Latin Ceratopsi(a) ( cerat-, -opsis, -ia ) + -an