T. rex

American  

[tee reks] / ˈti ˈreks /

noun

1. tyrannosaur.

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Usage

What is a T. rex? T. rex is short for Tyrannosaurus rex, a giant, meat-eating dinosaur that walked on two legs and had a long tail and a big head with sharp teeth (and, yes, two little arms).The name Tyrannosaurus rex comes from the Greek words tyranno (“tyrant”) and saurus (“lizard”) and the Latin word rex (“king”). So, Tyrannosaurus rex means something like “king of the tyrant lizards.” It is commonly called T. rex for short.The name is fitting: Tyrannosaurus rex is one of the largest land predators that has ever lived. It was the largest of the tyrannosaurs, reaching a length of 47 feet (14.3 m) or more.People often list the T. rex as their favorite dinosaur, and its popularity has grown through many pop culture depictions, such as its appearances in the Jurassic Park series of movies and books. However, to be scientifically precise about it, the T. rex lived during the Late Cretaceous period, about 90–65 million years ago, around the end of the age of dinosaurs.

Etymology

Origin of T. rex

First recorded in 1980–85; abbreviation of Tyrannosaurus rex ( def. )

Example Sentences

"Carbon isotopes in teeth generally reflect what the animal ate. Many mosasaurs have low 13C values because they dive deep. The mosasaur tooth found with the T. rex tooth, on the other hand, has a higher 13C value than all known mosasaurs, dinosaurs and crocodiles, suggesting that it did not dive deep and may sometimes have fed on drowned dinosaurs," says Melanie During, one of the study's corresponding authors.

From Science Daily

Because the mosasaur tooth, the T. rex tooth, and the crocodylian jawbone all date to roughly the same time, about 66 million years ago, the scientists could directly compare their chemistry.

From Science Daily

Measuring under half the size of an adult T. rex, Nanotyrannus likely competed with young T. rex individuals for the same prey.

From Science Daily

The research shows that Nanotyrannus was nearly fully grown and not a juvenile T. rex, while also offering new clues about how large tyrannosaur species achieved rapid growth.

From Science Daily

By investigating the microscopic details of this bone and comparing them with those of modern birds, crocodilians, and other dinosaurs -- including specimens from the Dino Hall's T. rex growth series -- the group confirmed that Nanotyrannus was a mature and separate predator.

From Science Daily