theropod

American  

[theer-uh-pod] / ˈθɪər əˌpɒd /

noun

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

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theropod British  

/ θɪˈrɒpədən, ˈθɪərəpɒd /

noun

1. 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

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theropod Scientific  

/ thîr′ə-pŏd′ /

1. 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.

2. Compare sauropod

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Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• theropodan
  noun

Etymology

Origin of theropod

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

Example Sentences

Therizinosaurs were a group of either herbivorous or omnivorous theropod dinosaurs that lived in Asia and North America during the Cretaceous Period, which began 145 million years ago and ended 66 million years ago.

From BBC • Mar. 25, 2025

"It's highly likely that reassessment of theropod teeth in museum stores elsewhere will bring up additional discoveries."

From Science Daily • Dec. 5, 2024

By analyzing data from T. rex remains as well as data from the theropod's closest living bird relatives, including emus and ostriches, Herculano-Houzel concluded that theropod brains had in excess of three billion neurons.

From Salon • May 4, 2024

The two types of tracks found recently belong to a carnivorous theropod species akin to the T. rex, the Acrocanthosaurus, and a herbivorous long-necked sauropod species akin to a Brontosaurus, the Sauroposeidon.

From Washington Times • Sep. 2, 2023

But no theropod fossils preserved wings, let alone feathers.

From New York Times • Jun. 3, 2023