Copyright © Philip M. Parker, INSEAD. Terms of Use.
Definition: Dinosaur |
DinosaurNoun1. Any of numerous extinct terrestrial reptiles of the Mesozoic era. Source: WordNet 1.7.1 Copyright © 2001 by Princeton University. All rights reserved. |
Date "dinosaur" was first used: 1842. (references) |
| Domain | Definition |
Computing | Dinosaur n. 1. Any hardware requiring raised flooring and special power. Used especially of old minis and mainframes, in contrast with newer microprocessor-based machines. In a famous quote from the 1988 Unix EXPO, Bill Joy compared the liquid-cooled mainframe in the massive IBM display with a grazing dinosaur "with a truck outside pumping its bodily fluids through it". IBM was not amused. Compare big iron; see also mainframe. 2. [IBM] A very conservative user; a zipperhead. Source: Jargon File. |
Source: compiled by the editor from various references; see credits. | |
(From Wikipedia, the free Encyclopedia)
Dinosaurs were a group of pre-historic reptiles that first appeared approximately 210 million years ago. They lived during the Triassic, Jurassic, and Cretaceous periods, a time period spanning over 150 million years. By the end of the Cretaceous, about 65 million years ago, most species of dinosaur had become extinct, but there is considerable evidence to suggest that modern birds are the descendants of one or more types of dinosaur. Birds are classed with dinosaurs by those who believe groups should be monophyletic.
The formal name Dinosauria was first proposed by the English scientist Richard Owen in 1842. The term is a combination of the Greek words deinos ("terrible" or "fearfully great") and sauros ("lizard").
Dinosaurs varied greatly in size. The smallest known species were about the size of a chicken, but most were much larger. The biggest dinosaurs were the Sauropoda; they were the largest land animals ever to live, and overall are second in size only to certain species of whale.
Many other types of reptiles lived at the same time as the dinosaurs. Some of these were very large, and are commonly, but incorrectly, thought of as dinosaurs. See Plesiosaur.
Dinosaurs disappeared 65 million years ago, in the Cretaceous-Tertiary extinction event. The most common explanation of this event is that it was caused by a very large meteorite hitting the earth (a theory first proposed by Walter Alvarez). However, this theory is contested.
Classification of dinosaurs
Dinosaurs are divided into two major groups, the Saurischia and the Ornithischia, on the basis of hip structure.
- Saurischia
- Theropoda
- Ceratosauria (e.g. Coelophysis, Procompsognathus, Dilophosaurus, Abelisaurus)
- Spinosauridae (e.g. Spinosaurus)
- Allosauridae (e.g. Allosaurus)
- Coelurosauria
- Tyrannosauridae (e.g. Tyrannosaurus rex, Albertosaurus)
- Ornithomimidae (e.g. Ornithomimus, Struthiomimus, Gallimimums)
- Oviraptoridae (e.g. Oviraptor)
- Thurizinosauridae (e.g. Thurizinosaurus, Segnosaurus)
- Troodontidae (e.g. Troodon)
- Dromaeosauridae (e.g. Deinonychus, Velociraptor)
- Aves (birds)
- Sauropodomorpha
- Plateosauridae (e.g. Plateosaurus)
- Sauropoda
- Diplodocidae (e.g. Apatosaurus, Diplodocus, ?Mamenchisaurus?)
- Brachiosauridae (e.g. Brachiosaurus)
- Titanosauridae (e.g. Titanosaurus, Saltasaurus)
- Ornithischia
- Thyreophora
- Stegosauria (e.g. Stegosaurus)
- Ankylosauria (e.g. Ankylosaurus, Euplocephalus, Nodosaurus)
- Neornithischia
- Ornithopoda (e.g. Anatosaurus, Parasaurolophus, Hypsilophodon, Iguanodon)
- Pachycephalosauria (e.g. Pachycephalosaurus)
- Ceratopsia (e.g. Psittacosaurus, Protoceratops, Triceratops)
External links
For the most comprehensive family tree of dinosaurs yet available, see
For the Dinosauria On-Line Dinosaur Omnipedia, with dictionaries of terms, pronunciations, maps and cladograms, see Active research Museum with 35 complete skeletons and more than 110,000 specimens
- http://www.aisee.com/graph_of_the_month/jura.htm
- http://palaeo.gly.bris.ac.uk/dinosaur/supertree.html
Dinosaur is sometimes used as a derogatory term to describe things that are perceived as being out of date or no longer in touch with the spirit of the times, and therefore ought to be extinct. An example was the manner in which the punk movement described the 'progressive' bands that preceeded them as 'dinosaur groups'. Considering that dinosaurs were actually highly successful life forms for some 150 million years, this term could be seen as quite ironic.
- http://www.tyrrellmuseum.com (Royal Tyrrell Museum of Palaeontology)
Source: adapted by the editor from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia under a copyleft GNU Free Documentation License (GFDL) from the article "Dinosaur."
(From Wikipedia, the free Encyclopedia)
Dinosaur is a town located in Moffat County, Colorado. As of the 2000 census, the town had a total population of 319.Geography
Dinosaur is located at 40°14'30" North, 109°0'31" West (40.241560, -109.008747)1. According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 2.1 km² (0.8 mi²). 2.1 km² (0.8 mi²) of it is land and none of it is covered by water.Demographics
As of the census of 2000, there are 319 people, 124 households, and 88 families residing in the town. The population density is 154.0/km² (400.9/mi²). There are 156 housing units at an average density of 75.3/km² (196.1/mi²). The racial makeup of the town is 98.43% White, 0.00% African American, 0.00% Native American, 0.00% Asian, 0.00% Pacific Islander, 0.31% from other races, and 1.25% from two or more races. 3.76% of the population are Hispanic or Latino of any race. There are 124 households out of which 34.7% have children under the age of 18 living with them, 57.3% are married couples living together, 9.7% have a female householder with no husband present, and 29.0% are non-families. 25.0% of all households are made up of individuals and 12.9% have someone living alone who is 65 years of age or older. The average household size is 2.57 and the average family size is 3.10. In the town the population is spread out with 28.5% under the age of 18, 9.4% from 18 to 24, 26.6% from 25 to 44, 23.5% from 45 to 64, and 11.9% who are 65 years of age or older. The median age is 36 years. For every 100 females there are 96.9 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there are 94.9 males. The median income for a household in the town is $31,250, and the median income for a family is $31,250. Males have a median income of $43,500 versus $16,250 for females. The per capita income for the town is $12,904. 17.9% of the population and 18.8% of families are below the poverty line. Out of the total people living in poverty, 15.6% are under the age of 18 and 14.3% are 65 or older.Source: adapted by the editor from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia under a copyleft GNU Free Documentation License (GFDL) from the article "Dinosaur, Colorado."
| Context | Synonyms within Context (source: adapted from Roget's Thesaurus). |
Animal | Alligator, crocodile; saurian; dinosaur; snake, serpent, viper, eft; asp, aspick. |
| Source: adapted from Roget's Thesaurus. | |
| Domain | Usage | |
Screenplays | A dinosaur! (The Simpsons; writing credit: Artur Brauner; Paul Hengge) I'm really lucky to have a dinosaur for a little sister (CardCaptors; writing credit: Jennifer Pertsch) You couldn't find a dinosaur at the bottom of a whiskey glass (Loch Ness; writing credit: John Fusco) Ask him if he sells dinosaur insurance (All in the Family; writing credit: Johnny Speight; Norman Lear) Makes me think of a triceratops, innocently munching a palm frond when out of the sky, whammo, a meteor sucker punches old mother Earth. Next thing you know, that triceratops, along with a hundred and seventy-five million years of dinosaur evolution, is nothing but history (Northern Exposure; writing credit: Khadijah Hashim) | |
Lyrics | A dinosaur Victrola list'ning to Buck Owens (LOOKIN' OUT MY BACK DOOR; performing artist: Creedence Clearwater Revival) | |
Movie/TV Titles | King Dinosaur (1955) Daffy Duck and the Dinosaur (1939) The Dinosaur and the Missing Link (1915) Gertie the Dinosaur (1915) Live From Dinosaur Island (2001) | |
Song Titles | When I Was A Dinosaur (performing artist: Trout Fishing In America) | |
Source: compiled by the editor from various references; see credits. | ||
| Domain | Title | ||
Books | |||
Periodicals |
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Theater & Movies | |||
Music |
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High Tech |
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Consumer Goods | |||
Source: compiled by the editor from various references; see credits. | |||
| Thumbnail | Description & Credit | Thumbnail | Description & Credit |
 | Dinosaur bone being prepared for removal from Peterson dinosaur quarry site near Albuquerque, NM. Credit: Mike O'Neill. |  | Leg bone of dinosaur found in New Mexico. Credit: Mike O'Neill. |
 | Warning sign at the Red Gulch Dinosaur Tracksite, Worland Field Office. Credit: Jerry Sintz. |  | View of tracksite at Red Gulch Dinosaur Tracksite along Red Gulch/Alkali Back Country Byway, Worland Field Office. Credit: Jerry Sintz. |
 | Series of dinosaur tracks at the Red Gulch Dinosaur Tracksite, Worland Field Office. Credit: Jerry Sintz. |  | Detail of dinosaur tracks at the Red Gulch Dinosaur Tracksite, Worland Field Office. Credit: Jerry Sintz. |
 | Dinosaur National Monument. Credit: NPS. |  | That dinosaur egg-- "strictly fresh" (or nearly so). Credit: Library of Congress. |
 | Gertie the dinosaur standing on a cliff edge looking at a mastodon. Credit: Library of Congress. |  | Norman Ross of the division of Paleontology, National Museum, preparing the skeleton of a baby dinosaur some seven or eight million years old for exhibition. Credit: Library of Congress. |
Source: pictures compiled by the editor from various references; see picture credits. | |||
 |  |
| "Dinosaur bones" by Nick Robinson Commentary: "This out of place large dinosaur skeleton in chicago O'Hare Airport." | "Rawr 02" by Jessica Poli Commentary: "Toy dinosaur and jewelry with lots of light, in front of my computer." |
Source: photographs selected by the editor, with permission from the photographers. | |
| Speaker | Term | Phrase(s) |
Ronald Reagan | 1981-1989 | This is the time to reform this outmoded social dinosaur and finally break the poverty trap. |
Source: compiled by the editor from various references. | ||
| "Dinosaur" is generally used as a noun (singular) -- approximately 91.79% of the time. "Dinosaur" is used about 268 times out of a sample of 100 million words spoken or written in English. Its rank is based on over 700,000 words used in the English language. Some parts-of-speech are not covered due to the samples used by the British National Corpus. (note: percents less than one-hundredth of one percent have been omitted) |
| Parts of Speech | Percent | Usage per 100 Million Words | Rank in English |
| Noun (singular) | 91.79% | 246 | 19,009 |
| Noun (proper) | 5.22% | 14 | 93,893 |
| Lexical Verb (base form) | 2.61% | 7 | 133,076 |
| Lexical Verb (infinitive) | 0.37% | 1 | 339,140 |
| Total | 100.00% | 268 | N/A |
Source: compiled by the editor from several corpora; see credits.
1. Dinosaur, CO (town, FIPS 20495) |
Expressions using "dinosaur": armored dinosaur ♦ dinosaur pen ♦ green dinosaur ♦ horned dinosaur ♦ ornithischian dinosaur ♦ ornithopod dinosaur ♦ saurischian dinosaur ♦ sauropod dinosaur ♦ theropod dinosaur. Additional references. | |
| Hyphenated Usage | |
Beginning with "dinosaur": dinosaur-like, dinosaur-mania. | |
Ending with "dinosaur": ex-dinosaur, post-dinosaur. | |
| Source: compiled by the editor from various references; see credits. | |
| The following statistics estimate the number of searches per day across the major English-language search engines as identified by various trade publications. Hyperlinks lead to commercial use of the expression at Amazon.com. |
| Expression | Frequency per Day | Expression | Frequency per Day |
dinosaur | 6,051 | cake dinosaur | 69 |
dinosaur picture | 853 | dinosaur provincial park | 68 |
barney the dinosaur | 536 | barney the purple dinosaur | 64 |
dinosaur fossil | 417 | dinosaur national park | 64 |
dinosaur game | 246 | dinosaur bones | 63 |
dinosaur barbecue | 190 | dinosaur lesson plan | 62 |
dinosaur national monument | 160 | extreme dinosaur | 60 |
walking with dinosaur | 158 | dinosaur information | 59 |
dinosaur jr | 156 | dinosaur valley state park | 57 |
dinosaur toy | 146 | dinosaur valley | 55 |
dinosaur coloring page | 140 | dinosaur photo | 54 |
dinosaur museum | 98 | dinosaur wallpaper | 52 |
dinosaur for kid | 90 | dinosaur tv show | 52 |
dinosaur bedding | 88 | dinosaur colorado | 52 |
dinosaur park | 84 | dinosaur movie | 51 |
dinosaur extinction | 80 | cartoon dinosaur | 49 |
dinosaur pic | 78 | dinosaur activity | 49 |
disney dinosaur | 73 | dinosaur model | 47 |
dinosaur photograph | 69 | dinosaur clip art | 46 |
dinosaur craft | 69 | dinosaur clipart | 46 |
| Source: compiled by the editor from various references; see credits. | |||
| Language | Translations for "dinosaur"; alternative meanings/domain in parentheses. | |
Albanian | dinozaur. (various references) | |
Arabic | ديناصور حيوان منقرض. (various references) | |
Bulgarian | динозавър. (various references) | |
Chinese | 恐龙 (tyrannosaur), 恐龍 . (various references) | |
Czech | dinosaurus. (various references) | |
Farsi | دسته ای ازسوسماران دوره تریاسیک . (various references) | |
Finnish | hirmulisko. (various references) | |
French | dinosaure. (various references) | |
German | Dinosaurier. (various references) | |
Greek | δεινόσαυροσ, δεινόσαυρος. (various references) | |
Hebrew | דינוסאורוס. (various references) | |
Hungarian | dinoszaurusz. (various references) | |
Indonesian | dinosaurus. (various references) | |
Italian | dinosauro. (various references) | |
Japanese Kanji | 恐竜. (various references) | |
Japanese Katakana | きょうりゅう. (various references) | |
Manx | jiolgan atchimagh, jeeneysoar. (various references) | |
Pig Latin | inosaurday.(various references) | |
Portuguese | dinossauro. (various references) | |
Romanian | dinozaur. (various references) | |
Russian | динозавр. (various references) | |
Serbo-Croatian | dinosaurus. (various references) | |
Spanish | dinosaurio. (various references) | |
Swedish | dinosaurie, jätteödla. (various references) | |
Turkish | dinozor. (various references) | |
Ukrainian | динозавр. (various references) | |
| Source: compiled by the editor from various translation references. | ||
| Language | Period | Translations |
| Greek | 700 BCE-300 CE | deinos. (various references) |
| Source: compiled by the editor from various references. | ||
Derivations | |
Words beginning with "dinosaur": dinosaurian, dinosaurs. (additional references) | |
| |
"Dinosaur" is suggested in spellcheckers for the following: denosaur, dinasaur, dinodaur, dinosar, dinosauer, dinosaure, dinosauric, dinosaus, dinoseur, Dinoso, dinosor, dinosour, dinossaur, dinosuar, dynosaur. (additional references) | |
| Source: compiled by the editor, based on several corpora (additional references). | |
| # of Phoneme Matches | Pronunciation | Word(s) rhyming with "dinosaur" (pronounced dī"nusô'r) |
| 3 | -s ô' r | eyesore. |
Source: compiled by the editor (additional references); see credits. | ||
Scrabble® Enable2K-Verified Anagrams | |
| Words within the letters "a-d-i-n-o-r-s-u" | |
-1 letter: diurons, durians, durions, inroads, ordains, sadiron. | |
-2 letters: adonis, adorns, aroids, around, arsino, audios, danios, dinars, diuron, douras, drains, durian, durion, inroad, nadirs, norias, ordain, radios, radius, radons, ranids, rounds, souari, soudan, unsaid. | |
-3 letters: adios, adorn, airns, aroid, arson, audio, auris, danio, darns, dinar, donas, dorsa, doura, drain, duras, durns, duros, irons, nadir, nards. | |
| Words containing the letters "a-d-i-n-o-r-s-u" | |
+1 letter: dinosaurs, durations, rigaudons. | |
+2 letters: adenovirus, boundaries, furanoside, inundators. | |
+3 letters: adjurations, delusionary, dicoumarins, dinosaurian, fairgrounds, floribundas, furanosides, gourmandise, gourmandism, graduations, indurations, jaguarondis, squadroning, subordinate. | |
+4 letters: adenoviruses, adumbrations, conquistador, counterraids, deuterations, discouraging, gourmandises, gourmandisms, gourmandizes, housetrained, malnourished, outspreading, quadrillions, reeducations, repudiations, stridulation, subarachnoid, subordinated, subordinates, subordinator, surfboarding, transduction, transudation. | |
+5 letters: adulterations, bildungsroman, boardinghouse, conquistadors, cotransducing, daunorubicins, denaturations, deregulations, deuteragonist, deuteranopias, diathermanous, dibenzofurans, disharmonious, documentaries, documentarist, fluoridations, furazolidones, glucuronidase, hyaluronidase, insubordinate, nonindustrial, quadraphonics, quadriphonics, radionuclides, refoundations, stridulations, subordinately, subordinating, subordination, subordinative, subordinators, superaddition, superordinate, transductions, transudations, unconstrained, undercoatings, undiscouraged. | |
| Source: compiled by the editor from various references; see credits. SCRABBLE® is a registered trademark. All intellectual property rights in and to the game are owned in the U.S.A and Canada by Hasbro Inc., and throughout the rest of the world by J.W. Spear & Sons Limited of Maidenhead, Berkshire, England, a subsidiary of Mattel Inc. Mattel and Spear are not affiliated with Hasbro. | |
| 1. Definition 2. Crosswords 3. Usage: Modern 4. Usage: Commercial | 5. Images: Slideshow 6. Images: Photo Album 7. Images: Digital Art 8. Quotations: Speeches | 9. Usage Frequency 10. Cities 11. Expressions 12. Expressions: Internet | 13. Translations: Modern 14. Translations: Ancient 15. Derivations 16. Rhymes | 17. Anagrams 18. Bibliography |
Copyright © Philip M. Parker, INSEAD. Terms of Use.
