Dinosaur
/ˈdaɪ.nə.sɔːr/noun
A large extinct reptile of the Mesozoic Era; also used for something old-fashioned or obsolete.
Did you know?The word was invented in 1841 by British anatomist Richard Owen from Greek roots meaning “terrible” and “lizard,” so the monster name came before most people even knew what these animals really looked like.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*deiwós
“shining, divine”
Ancient Greek
Greek
deinós
“terrible, fearful, mighty”
Ancient Greek
Greek
sauros
“lizard, reptile”
1841
English
Dinosauria
“Richard Owen’s scientific name for a distinct group of fossil reptiles”
Modern English
English
dinosaur
“A large extinct reptile of the Mesozoic Era”