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

See Examples For:

sauropod

By lifting the front of the body into the air, a sauropod would have appeared even larger and more threatening to approaching predators.

From Science Daily ● Jul. 20, 2026

"But depending on where in time the Megalosaurus is on that trackway at the point where the sauropod put its foot down, it could very easily be explained by Megalosaurus coming up behind it."

From BBC ● Jun. 10, 2026

Researchers classified Nagatitan as a somphospondylan sauropod, a branch of sauropods that spread widely around 120 million years ago.

From Science Daily ● May 15, 2026

Like that dinosaur, it belonged to the sauropod family of long-necked herbivores.

From BBC ● May 14, 2026

Or the sauropod might decide to dive beneath the surface, and well, that’d be that.

From "Dactyl Hill Squad" by Daniel José Older