compsognathus

[komp-sog-nuh-thuh s]

noun

any bipedal carnivorous dinosaur of the genus Compsognathus, of late Jurassic age, having a slender body that reached a length of 30 inches (76 cm).

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Origin of compsognathus

< New Latin (1859) < Greek kompsó(s) elegant + -gnathos -gnathous

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018

Examples from the Web for compsognathus

Historical Examples of compsognathus

As Compsognathus walked upon its hind legs, it must have made tracks like those of birds.
Lectures on Evolution
Thomas Henry Huxley

Word Origin and History for compsognathus

Compsognathus

n.

genus of small dinosaurs, Modern Latin, from Greek kompsos "refined, elegant" + gnathos "jaw" (see gnathic).

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Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper