sauropod

American  

[sawr-uh-pod] / ˈsɔr əˌpɒd /

noun

1. any herbivorous dinosaur of the suborder Sauropoda, from the Jurassic and Cretaceous periods, having a small head, long neck and tail, and five-toed limbs: the largest known land animal.

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adjective

1. belonging or pertaining to the sauropods.

sauropod British  

/ ˈsɔːrəˌpɒd, sɔːˈrɒpədəs /

noun

1. any herbivorous quadrupedal saurischian dinosaur of the suborder Sauropoda, of Jurassic and Cretaceous times, including the brontosaurus, diplodocus, and titanosaurs. They had small heads and long necks and tails and were partly amphibious

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sauropod Scientific  

/ sôr′ə-pŏd′ /

1. One of the two types of saurischian dinosaurs, widespread during the Jurassic and Cretaceous Periods. Sauropods were plant-eaters and often grew to tremendous size, having a stout body with thick legs, long slender necks with a small head, and long tails. Sauropods included the apatosaurus (brontosaurus) and brachiosaurus.

2. Compare theropod

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Other Word Forms

• sauropodous
  adjective

Etymology

Origin of sauropod

1890–95; < New Latin Sauropoda suborder name < Greek saûro ( s ) lizard + -poda -poda; cf. -pod

Example Sentences

The history of companion robots is littered with e-waste carcasses, including Sony’s Aibo, Ugobe’s sauropod Pleo and the souped-up smart speaker known as Jibo.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 4, 2026

They include a few isolated sauropod teeth, scattered bones likely from a sauropod, and two finds near Knysna: the theropod tooth discovered earlier and part of a tibia.

From Science Daily • Apr. 24, 2026

To establish this miserliness of spirit, the present day scenes start with a Brooklyn traffic jam caused by an escaped sauropod laying collapsed and dying on the side of the road.

From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 30, 2025

One area of the site even reveals where the paths of a sauropod and megalosaurus once crossed.

From BBC • Jan. 2, 2025

The huge sauropod pulled up along the shore.

From "Dactyl Hill Squad" by Daniel José Older