raptor

American  

[rap-ter, -tawr] / ˈræp tər, -tɔr /

noun

raptors plural

1. a raptorial bird.

2. Informal. a velociraptor or other small dinosaur with similar characteristics.

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raptor British  

/ ˈræptə /

noun

1. another name for bird of prey

2. informal a carnivorous bipedal dinosaur of the late Cretaceous period

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raptor Scientific  

/ răp′tər /

1. A bird of prey, such as a hawk, eagle, or owl.

2. Any of various mostly small, slender, carnivorous dinosaurs of the Cretaceous Period. Raptors had hind legs that were adapted for leaping and large, curved claws used for grasping and tearing at prey. Raptors were probably related to birds, and some even had feathers.

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Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• raptors
  plural

Etymology

Origin of raptor

First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English raptour “ravener; plunderer; bird of prey,” from Latin raptor “robber, ravager,” equivalent to rap(ere) “to seize by force, plunder” + -tor agent suffix; see rape ¹ -tor

Compare meaning

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

• velociraptor vs. raptor

Explanation

A raptor is a bird of prey, a large, strong bird that feeds on smaller animals. Raptors are equipped with sharp talons and beaks for hunting. Raptors are hunters, and they're also big, striking birds — the bald eagle is one example of a raptor. The difference between raptors and other birds that also eat animals (like gulls, for example) is that raptors use not only their beaks, but also their curved talons to catch their prey. Before it came to be used for these birds, raptor meant "abductor," from its Latin meaning, "robber, plunderer, or abductor," from rapere, "to seize."

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

raptor raptors

Like other unenlagiids, Kank australis possessed the enlarged claw on its second toe that is often associated with raptor dinosaurs.

From Science Daily ● May 29, 2026

Subbotin said the utility company spaces lines at least 5 feet apart — a precaution it and other utility companies take to minimize raptor deaths.

From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 26, 2025

In a statement, the non-profit organisation said: "Any incident of raptor persecution is utterly condemnable, with the penalties already including a prison sentence along with an unlimited fine."

From BBC ● Nov. 9, 2025

The raptor, dark brown with bright white spots, prefers old-growth forests.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 23, 2025

A tethered raptor will make marks like these.

From "On the Far Side of the Mountain" by Jean Craighead George

From the air, a dozen species of raptors scanned the ground for the doomed and the vulnerable.

From The Wall Street Journal ● May 30, 2026

"This suggests Kank may have been an active fisher, contrasting with common portrayal of raptors as agile terrestrial predators, like Velociraptor from the Northern Hemisphere."

From Science Daily ● May 29, 2026

In September, San Bernardino County supervisors approved the 50-home project despite claims it will take away valuable foraging areas for the raptors.

From Los Angeles Times ● Mar. 3, 2026

Bald Eagles, like many other raptors, must navigate a wide range of hazards in a human-dominated world.

From Science Daily ● Dec. 11, 2025

Most of the trikes and raptors had been sent down south to fight the Confederates, but every once in a while she’d see one of those too.

From "Dactyl Hill Squad" by Daniel José Older