Jurassic

American  

[joo-ras-ik] / dʒʊˈræs ɪk /

adjective

1. noting or pertaining to a period of the Mesozoic Epoch, occurring from 190 to 140 million years ago and characterized by an abundance of dinosaurs and the advent of birds and mammals.

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noun

1. the Jurassic Period or System.

Jurassic British  

/ dʒʊˈræsɪk /

adjective

1. of, denoting, or formed in the second period of the Mesozoic era, between the Triassic and Cretaceous periods, lasting for 55 million years during which dinosaurs and ammonites flourished

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noun

1. the Jurassic period or rock system

Jurassic Scientific  

/ j-răs′ĭk /

1. The second and middle period of the Mesozoic Era, from about 208 to 144 million years ago. During this time the supercontinent Pangaea continued to split up and numerous shallow seas inundated the new continents. Dinosaurs were the dominant form of terrestrial animal life, and the earliest birds appeared. Marine life was dominated by ammonites and belemnites, and sponges, corals, bryozoa, and gastropods all flourished. Gymnosperms and cycads were the dominant land plants.

2. See Chart at geologic time

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Other Word Forms

• post-Jurassic
  adjective

Etymology

Origin of Jurassic

First recorded in 1825–35; Jur(a) + -assic, suffix extracted from Triassic; compare French jurassique

Example Sentences

But long before that event, birds lived alongside many other dinosaur groups during the Jurassic and Cretaceous periods.

From Science Daily • Jun. 23, 2026

For him, the perfect Sunday involves traversing the city, checking out record stores and visiting museums like the Museum of Jurassic Technology in Culver City.

From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 12, 2026

We found that most lizards first evolved osteoderms during the Late Jurassic and Early Cretaceous, more than 100 million years ago.

From Science Daily • May 21, 2026

Dern, who won an Oscar in 2020 for Marriage Story, is also known for films such as Blue Velvet, Jurassic Park and Wild, and TV shows including Big Little Lies and Twin Peaks: The Return.

From BBC • Apr. 29, 2026

“Oh. Um, yeah. Songs from movie soundtracks. The Jurassic Park theme song was playing,” I say.

From "A Soft Place to Land" by Janae Marks