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

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Example Sentences

See Examples For:

mosasaur

This marks the first time a premaxilla has been confirmed in a mosasaur fossil discovered in Japan.

From Science Daily ● Aug. 15, 2026

Additional research will be needed to determine whether the specimen truly represents a new mosasaur species.

From Science Daily ● Aug. 15, 2026

The tooth likely belonged to a prognathodontine mosasaur, although its exact genus cannot be identified.

From Science Daily ● Dec. 15, 2025

To solve this puzzle, researchers from the United States, Sweden, and the Netherlands examined the chemical makeup of the mosasaur tooth enamel using isotope analysis.

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

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