raptor

[ rap-ter, -tawr ]
See synonyms for raptor on Thesaurus.com
noun
  1. a raptorial bird.

  2. Informal. a velociraptor or other small dinosaur with similar characteristics.

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Origin of raptor

1
First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English raptour “ravener; plunderer; bird of prey,” from Latin raptor “robber, ravager,” equivalent to rap(ere) “to seize by force, plunder” + -tor agent suffix; see rape1 -tor

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British Dictionary definitions for raptor

raptor

/ (ˈræptə) /


noun
  1. another name for bird of prey

  2. informal a carnivorous bipedal dinosaur of the late Cretaceous period

Origin of raptor

1
C17: from Latin: plunderer, from rapere to take by force

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 raptor

raptor

[ răptər ]


  1. A bird of prey, such as a hawk, eagle, or owl.

  2. Any of various mostly small, slender, carnivorous dinosaurs of the Cretaceous Period. Raptors had hind legs that were adapted for leaping and large, curved claws used for grasping and tearing at prey. Raptors were probably related to birds, and some even had feathers.

The American Heritage® Science Dictionary Copyright © 2011. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.