dinosaurs

Cultural  

1. 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.

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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.”

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

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

Example Sentences

That is more than four times the size of the asteroid that struck Earth 66 million years ago and led to the extinction of the dinosaurs.

From Science Daily

Theirs is not a conventionally acceptable relationship, as they discover when they wash ashore in separate places in an unfamiliar country where dinosaurs and human beings roam, the latter resembling 3rd or 4th century Celts.

From Salon

"These sharks became extinct during the Triassic period when around 96 per cent of creatures died out – that was far more than during the Cretaceous period which marked the end of the dinosaurs. "

From BBC

I was tempted by farm animals and dinosaurs and space.

From The Wall Street Journal

I met a married couple at a No Kings rally in Sacramento who were dressed up as dinosaurs, inspired by the Portland Frog, an activist who wears an inflatable amphibian suit.

From Los Angeles Times