dinosaur

Meaning

Noun

• In scientific usage, any of the animals belonging to the clade Dinosauria, especially those that existed during the Triassic, Jurassic and Cretaceous periods and are now extinct.
• In colloquial usage, any member of the clade Dinosauria other than birds.
• Any extinct reptile, not necessarily belonging to Dinosauria, that existed between about 230 million and 65 million years ago.
• Something or someone that is very old or old-fashioned, or is not willing to change and adapt.
• Anything no longer in common use or practice.

Related

Similar words

• nonavian dinosaur
• fossil, old fart

Origin

• New Latin dīnosaurus, from Ancient Greek δεινός ("terrible, awesome, mighty, fearfully great") + σαῦρος. Coined by paleontologist Richard Owen in 1842.