megalosaur

[meg-uh-luh-sawr]

noun

1. any gigantic carnivorous dinosaur of the genus Megalosaurus, of the Jurassic and early Cretaceous periods.

megalosaur

/ ˈmɛɡələʊˌsɔː /

noun

1. any very large Jurassic or Cretaceous bipedal carnivorous dinosaur of the genus Megalosaurus, common in Europe: suborder Theropoda (theropods)

Other Word Forms

• megalosaurian adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of megalosaur¹

From the New Latin word Megalosaurus, dating back to 1835–45. See megalo-, -saur

Word History and Origins

Origin of megalosaur¹

C19: from New Latin megalosaurus, from _megalo- + Greek sauros lizard

Example Sentences

The dinosaurs included carnivorous megalosaurs - ancestors of Tyrannosaurus rex - and long necked herbivores that were up to three times bigger in size than an elephant.

Read more on BBC

Paleontologists believe it was actually from a dinosaur, specifically a megalosaur.

Read more on Washington Post