Apatosaurus
/ˌæp.ə.toʊˈsɔːr.əs/noun
A genus of large, long-necked sauropod dinosaurs from the Late Jurassic.
Did you know?Apatosaurus was named from Greek apate, meaning “deceit” or “deception,” because its bones were initially mistaken for those of another giant reptile.
Etymological Timeline
Ancient Greek
Greek
apátē (ἀπάτη)
“deceit, trickery, or fraud”
Ancient Greek
Greek
sauros (σαῦρος)
“lizard”
1877
English
Apatosaurus
“Edward Drinker Cope’s newly coined dinosaur genus name, intended to reflect the misleading nature of the remains”
Modern English
English
apatosaurus
“a large sauropod dinosaur genus”