mosasaur

American  

[moh-suh-sawr] / ˈmoʊ səˌsɔr /

noun

1. any of several extinct carnivorous marine lizards from the Cretaceous Period, having the limbs modified into broad, webbed paddles.

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mosasaur British  

/ ˈməʊsəˌsɔː /

noun

1. any of various extinct Cretaceous giant marine lizards of the genus Mosasaurus and related genera, typically having paddle-like limbs

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mosasaur Scientific  

/ mō′sə-sôr′ /

1. Any of various medium-sized to large extinct aquatic lizards of the family Mosasauridae of the Cretaceous Period, having modified limbs that served as paddles for swimming. Some species reached lengths of over 15 meters (50 feet).

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Etymology

Origin of mosasaur

< New Latin Mosasaurus (1823) genus name, equivalent to Latin Mosa the Meuse river (where a species was first discovered) + New Latin -saurus -saur

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

mosasaur

It is the first confirmed example of this part of the skull in a Japanese mosasaur specimen.

From Science Daily ● Aug. 15, 2026

"It highlights the need to revisit long-standing assumptions about mosasaur evolution and to modernize the tools we use to study these iconic marine reptiles."

From Science Daily ● May 23, 2026

Researchers analyzing a mosasaur tooth discovered in North Dakota have found strong signs that some of these animals lived in rivers.

From Science Daily ● Dec. 15, 2025

Earlier discoveries of mosasaur bones at a nearby site support this estimate.

From Science Daily ● Dec. 15, 2025

And the mosasaurus—that was the biggest, meanest, toothiest, most unstoppable mosasaur there was.

From "Dactyl Hill Squad" by Daniel José Older