dinosaurs


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.

Notes for dinosaurs

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.”

Notes for dinosaurs

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

Notes for dinosaurs

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

Words Nearby dinosaurs

The New Dictionary of Cultural Literacy, Third Edition Copyright © 2005 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

How to use dinosaurs in a sentence

  • Many of these monsters were larger than the prehistoric dinosaurs which once roamed the earth.

    Spacewrecked on Venus | Neil R. Jones
  • To the east where the walls of the volcano had crumbled down was a vast swamp, a favorite feeding ground for the dinosaurs.

    The Lost Warship | Robert Moore Williams
  • "Earth-shakers" was Guru's name for the dinosaurs and "squatting place" was his word for city.

    The Lost Warship | Robert Moore Williams
  • The screams of the dinosaurs were louder, as if the great beasts were excited by the conflagration in the city of the Ogrum.

    The Lost Warship | Robert Moore Williams
  • The herd of dinosaurs crossed the city, turned and swept along the edge of the bay.

    The Lost Warship | Robert Moore Williams