sauropod

[ sawr-uh-pod ]

noun

1. any herbivorous dinosaur of the suborder Sauropoda, from the Jurassic and Cretaceous periods, having a small head, long neck and tail, and five-toed limbs: the largest known land animal.

adjective

1. belonging or pertaining to the sauropods.

sauropod

/ ˈsɔːrəˌpɒd; sɔːˈrɒpədəs /

noun

1. any herbivorous quadrupedal saurischian dinosaur of the suborder Sauropoda, of Jurassic and Cretaceous times, including the brontosaurus, diplodocus, and titanosaurs. They had small heads and long necks and tails and were partly amphibious

sauropod

/ sôr′ə-pŏd′ /

1. One of the two types of saurischian dinosaurs, widespread during the Jurassic and Cretaceous Periods. Sauropods were plant-eaters and often grew to tremendous size, having a stout body with thick legs, long slender necks with a small head, and long tails. Sauropods included the apatosaurus (brontosaurus) and brachiosaurus.
2. Compare theropod

Derived Forms

• sauropodous, adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of sauropod¹

1890–95; < New Latin Sauropoda suborder name < Greek saûro ( s ) lizard + -poda -poda; -pod

Word History and Origins

Origin of sauropod¹

C19: from New Latin sauropoda, from Greek sauros lizard + pous foot

Example Sentences

The new gallery also has two great big windows where you’ll be able to glimpse Gnatalie, the sauropod, and you can glimpse stuff that you can have access to from the park.

From Los Angeles Times

In contrast, sauropods, the other main grouping which includes the Brontosaurus and the Diplodocus, kept to warmer areas of the planet.

From Science Daily

During the Late Cretaceous period, about 90 million years ago, the area was a muddy river plain home to all manner of dinosaurs, including long-necked sauropods and duck-billed herbivores.

From New York Times

Analysis identified the bone as part of a leg of a sauropod - large dinosaurs with long necks.

From BBC

Of about 600 bones checked, bite marks - often deep grooves left in stout bone - were detected on 68 of them, spanning 40 individual sauropods and representing at least nine species.

From Reuters