theropod

[ theer-uh-pod ]

/ ˈθɪər əˌpɒd /

noun

any member of the suborder Theropoda, comprising carnivorous dinosaurs that had short forelimbs and walked or ran on their hind legs.

Nearby words

thermotropism, thero-, theroid, theron, therophyte, theropod, theroux, thersites, thersitical, thes., thesaurismosis

Origin of theropod

< New Latin Theropoda (1881) suborder name; see -there, -o-, -poda

Also called bird-footed dinosaur.

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

British Dictionary definitions for theropod

theropod

/ (ˈθɪərəpɒd) /

noun

any bipedal carnivorous saurischian dinosaur of the suborder Theropoda, having strong hind legs and grasping hands. They lived in Triassic to Cretaceous times and included tyrannosaurs and megalosaurs

Derived Formstheropodan (θɪˈrɒpədən), noun, adjective

Word Origin for theropod

C19: from New Latin theropoda, from Greek thēr beast + pous foot

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

Science definitions for theropod

theropod

[ thîr′ə-pŏd′ ]

Any of various carnivorous saurischian dinosaurs of the group Theropoda. Theropods walked on two legs and had small forelimbs and a large skull with long jaws and sharp teeth. Most theropods were of small or medium size, but some grew very large, like Tyrannosaurus. Theropods lived throughout the Mesozoic Era. Compare sauropod.