velociraptor

American  

[vuh-los-uh-rap-ter, ‐tawr] / vəˈlɒs əˌræp tər, ‐tɔr /

noun

1. a small carnivorous dinosaur of the genus Velociraptor , from the late Cretaceous period, capable of leaping, and growing to a length of about 6 feet (2 meters), having feathers, a flat snout, short forelimbs with large handlike talons, and a large sickle-shaped claw on each foot.

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velociraptor Scientific  

/ və-lŏs′ə-răp′tər /

1. A small, fast, carnivorous dinosaur of the genus Velociraptor of the Cretaceous Period that was about 2 m (6.5 ft) in length. It had long curved claws for grasping and tearing at prey, walked on two legs that were adapted for leaping, and had a long stiff tail used as a counterweight. Velociraptors were a kind of raptor.

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Etymology

Origin of velociraptor

1920–25; < New Latin, equivalent to veloci-, stem of vēlox “swift, quick” + raptor ( def. )

Compare meaning

How does velociraptor compare to similar and commonly confused words? Explore the most common comparisons:

• velociraptor vs. raptor

Explanation

A velociraptor was a small dinosaur that lived more than seventy million years ago. You might see a velociraptor skeleton at a natural history museum. Scientists who study dinosaurs, known as paleontologists, believe that velociraptors had feathers and small, birdlike bones. Velociraptors had a surge in popularity after they were featured in the 1990's series of "Jurassic Park" movies, although they weren't quite accurately portrayed. Most velociraptor fossils have been found in Mongolia. The word velociraptor combines the Latin velox, "swift," and raptor, "robber or plunderer."

Example Sentences

The animal was a feathered relative of Velociraptor with long feathers on both its forelimbs and hind limbs.

From Science Daily • Jun. 23, 2026

They’ll even make you a unicorn or a sasquatch or a wearable Velociraptor costume that roars and can open and close its jaws.

From Los Angeles Times • May 23, 2025

Adding to the puzzle is the presence of early proto-wings on flightless bird relatives like Velociraptor and Oviraptor, said Minyoung Son, a paleontologist at the University of Minnesota and an author on the paper.

From New York Times • Jan. 25, 2024

Although dinosaurs were largely extinct by 66 million years ago, therapods, the three-clawed, hollow-boned group that included Velociraptor and Tyrannosaurus rex, had started to evolve into today’s birds.

From Scientific American • Sep. 8, 2023

Another fossil found in the 1970s in Mongolia shows two dinosaurs - predator Velociraptor and plant-eater Protoceratops - fighting about 80 million years ago before being buried alive, perhaps in a collapsing sand dune.

From Reuters • Jul. 18, 2023