Sauropod
/ˈsɔːrəpɒd/noun
A herbivorous dinosaur belonging to the group characterized by a long neck, long tail, small head, and four sturdy legs.
Did you know?The name was built from Ancient Greek roots used in scientific classification: sauros meaning “lizard” and pous, whose combining form pod- means “foot.”
Etymological Timeline
Ancient Greek
Greek
σαῦρος (sauros)
“Lizard or reptile”
Ancient Greek
Greek
πούς (pous), ποδός (podos)
“Foot; pod- is the combining form used in compounds”
1842
Scientific Latin/Greek
Sauropoda
““Lizard-footed”; the taxonomic group name introduced by Richard Owen”
19th Century
Scientific English
sauropod
“A member of the Sauropoda group”
Modern English
English
sauropod
“A long-necked, typically herbivorous dinosaur such as Diplodocus or Brachiosaurus”