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ornithischian
[ awr-nuh-this-kee-uhn ]
/ ˌɔr nəˈθɪs ki ən /
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noun
any herbivorous dinosaur of the order Ornithischia, having a pelvis resembling that of a bird.Compare saurischian.
adjective
belonging or pertaining to the Ornithischia.
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Words nearby ornithischian
ornery, ornis, ornith-, ornithic, ornithine, ornithischian, ornitho-, ornithoid, ornithol., ornithology, ornithomancy
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Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
British Dictionary definitions for ornithischian
ornithischian
/ (ˌɔːnɪˈθɪskɪən) /
adjective
of, relating to, or belonging to the Ornithischia, an order of dinosaurs that included the ornithopods, stegosaurs, ankylosaurs, and triceratops
noun
any dinosaur of the order Ornithischia; a bird-hipped dinosaur
Word Origin for ornithischian
C20: from ornitho- + Greek ischion hip joint
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
Scientific definitions for ornithischian
ornithischian
[ ôr′nə-thĭs′kē-ən ]
Any of various dinosaurs belonging to the group Ornithischia, one of the two main divisions of dinosaurs. Ornithischians had a pelvis similar to that of modern birds (although birds are not descended from them), in which part of the pubis pointed backwards and parallel to the ischium. They also had a special bone in front of the lower jaw (called the predentary bone), and frequently had armor plating or bony outgrowths of the skull. Ornithischians comprise all the herbivorous dinosaurs except the sauropods, and include ankylosaurs, hadrosaurs, stegosaurs, and ceratopsians. Compare saurischian.
The American Heritage® Science Dictionary
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