dinosaurs

Cultural

Reptiles, now extinct, that were the dominant life form on Earth for many millions of years. The name dinosaur comes from the Greek words for “monstrous lizard.” Dinosaurs became extinct suddenly, about sixty-five million years ago. Scientists now believe that their extinction was caused by the impact of a large asteroid on the Earth.

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Some dinosaurs were very large and had small brains — factors that may in part have led to their extinction. The term is often used to refer to something or someone that is antiquated and unable to adapt to change: “The old cavalry generals couldn't adjust to the use of tanks — they became dinosaurs.”

Some scientists believe that modern birds are the descendants of dinosaurs.

Commonly known dinosaurs include Tyrannosaurus rex, Brontosaurus, Stegosaurus, and Triceratops.

Example Sentences

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Thomas R. Holtz Jr., a principal lecturer in the University of Maryland's Department of Geology, has spent years studying how dinosaurs functioned within their ecosystems and how those systems differed from today's world.

From Science Daily

Sparks fly and metal groans in a cavernous workshop on the outskirts of Islamabad, where Pakistani artist Ehtisham Jadoon fuses discarded car parts into colossal pieces inspired by "Transformers" movies and dinosaurs.

From Barron's

Among dinosaurs, however, this feature distinguishes Spinosaurus and its closest relatives.

From Science Daily

Triceratops and other horned dinosaurs had exceptionally large nasal cavities compared to most animals.

From Science Daily

To make eating fun, we serve them chicken nuggets shaped like dinosaurs and crackers shaped like goldfish.

From The Wall Street Journal

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023