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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.


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

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

noun

  1. the Jurassic period or rock system

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
Jurassic Scientific  
/ j-răsĭk /
  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


Other Word Forms

Etymology

Origin of Jurassic

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

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

See Examples For:

On a summer morning before the heat set in, he pointed out the spot where his flock of over a dozen birds once roamed, strutting across the sand like remnants of the Jurassic era.

From Los Angeles Times Sep. 3, 2026

A lifelong fan of the Jurassic Park movies, Suravech joked that his work lacks Hollywood's deep pockets.

From Barron's Sep. 3, 2026

Sam Adams writes that the cosmic horror blockbuster is a satisfying throwback to Jurassic Park.

From Slate Aug. 14, 2026

"This was left in the Late Jurassic when long-necked dinosaurs such as Diplodocus and Camarasaurus roamed North America," Dr. Romilio said.

From Science Daily Aug. 11, 2026

But way back in the Jurassic period, some Stegosaurus went to the bathroom in our mountains.

From "Linked" by Gordon Korman

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