ceratopsian

[ser-uh-top-see-uh n]

noun

any of several four-footed, herbivorous dinosaurs of the suborder Ceratopsia, of the late Cretaceous Period, having an enlarged skull with a beak, a large perforated frill at the back, and, in some species, one or three horns.

Origin of ceratopsian

< New Latin Ceratopsi(a) (see cerat-, -opsis, -ia) + -an

Also called horned dinosaur.

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

ceratopsian in Science

ceratopsian

[sĕr′ə-tŏp′sē-ən]

Any of various dinosaurs of the group Ceratopsia of the late Jurassic and Cretaceous Periods. Ceratopsians were ornithischians characterized by skulls with a parrotlike beak, a broad bony frill extending back over the neck, and often one or more horns. Most ceratopsians walked on all fours and grew to medium or large size. Triceratops was a ceratopsian.