tyrannosaur

[ ti-ran-uh-sawr, tahy- ]

noun

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

tyrannosaur

/ 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.

Word History and Origins

Origin of tyrannosaur¹

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

Example Sentences

A new analysis of fossils believed to be juveniles of T. rex now shows they were adults of a small tyrannosaur, with narrower jaws, longer legs, and bigger arms than T. rex.

From Science Daily

It is only 23 inches long, but one tyrannosaur skull has been a bone of serious contention among paleontologists for decades.

From New York Times

Juvenile tyrannosaurs selected their meals from the Cretaceous version of the kid’s menu, newly analyzed fossils show.

From National Geographic

Paleontologists have long suspected tyrannosaurs fed on equal or smaller size prey until the age of 11 or so, when they had a growth spurt.

From Science Magazine

The last meal of a 75-million-year-old tyrannosaur has been revealed by scientists - two baby dinosaurs.

From BBC