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Jurassic

American  
[joo-ras-ik] / dʒʊˈræs ɪk /

adjective

  1. noting or pertaining to a period of the Mesozoic Epoch, occurring from 190 to 140 million years ago and characterized by an abundance of dinosaurs and the advent of birds and mammals.


noun

  1. the Jurassic Period or System.

Jurassic British  
/ dʒʊˈræsɪk /

adjective

  1. of, denoting, or formed in the second period of the Mesozoic era, between the Triassic and Cretaceous periods, lasting for 55 million years during which dinosaurs and ammonites flourished

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

noun

  1. the Jurassic period or rock system

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
Jurassic Scientific  
/ j-răsĭk /
  1. The second and middle period of the Mesozoic Era, from about 208 to 144 million years ago. During this time the supercontinent Pangaea continued to split up and numerous shallow seas inundated the new continents. Dinosaurs were the dominant form of terrestrial animal life, and the earliest birds appeared. Marine life was dominated by ammonites and belemnites, and sponges, corals, bryozoa, and gastropods all flourished. Gymnosperms and cycads were the dominant land plants.

  2. See Chart at geologic time


Other Word Forms

Etymology

Origin of Jurassic

First recorded in 1825–35; Jur(a) + -assic, suffix extracted from Triassic; compare French jurassique

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

See Examples For:

Speaking to the BBC at the 1993 premiere of Jurassic Park, which co-starred Richard Attenborough and Laura Dern, Neill said the way the film had been received was a "big surprise".

From BBC Jul. 13, 2026

If you’re going to watch one scene of his, I recommend this iconic one from Jurassic Park, the 1993 movie that made Neill famous.

From Slate Jul. 13, 2026

Grant survived the harrowing events when the creatures get loose, but didn’t return for “The Lost World: Jurassic Park II” in 1997.

From Los Angeles Times Jul. 13, 2026

Since the 2000s, the movie business has been dominated by franchises like Marvel, Harry Potter and Jurassic World, which are owned or controlled by major studios.

From The Wall Street Journal Jul. 10, 2026

“I don’t know what they did,” Deborah said, “but it all sound like Jurassic Park to me.”

From "The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks" by Rebecca Skloot

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