tyrannosaur

American  

[ti-ran-uh-sawr, tahy-] / tɪˈræn əˌsɔr, taɪ- /

noun

1. a large, carnivorous dinosaur, Tyrannosaurus rex, from the Late Cretaceous Epoch of North America, that walked erect on its hind feet.

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tyrannosaur Scientific  

/ tĭ-răn′ə-sôr′ /

1. Any of various very large carnivorous dinosaurs of the genus Tyrannosaurus and related genera of the Cretaceous Period. Tyrannosaurs had very small forelimbs and a large head with sharp teeth. They walked on two legs, probably bent forward with their long tail stretched out as a counterbalance. Tyrannosaurs were theropods and probably distantly related to birds. The largest species, T. rex, grew to lengths of 14.3 m (47 ft) or more and may have been the largest land predator that ever lived.

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Etymology

Origin of tyrannosaur

< New Latin Tyrannosaurus (1905), equivalent to Greek tyranno- (combining form representing týrannos tyrant ) + saûros -saur

Example Sentences

These hidden markers allowed the team to build a more complete picture of tyrannosaur growth patterns.

From Science Daily • Mar. 5, 2026

Zanno and Napoli reviewed more than 200 tyrannosaur fossils during their research.

From Science Daily • Nov. 2, 2025

"It has helped us revise the tyrannosaur family tree and rewrite what we know about the evolution of tyrannosaurs," she added.

From BBC • Jun. 11, 2025

In 1866, the first tyrannosaur, Dryptosaurus, was found less than two miles from the Edelman.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 2, 2025

And I thought, Cry Iced!—that's sure going to be one tyrannosaur of a prologue.

From No Great Magic by Leiber, Fritz