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Definition of ankylosaurus

ankylosaurus

/ˌæŋ.kə.loʊˈsɔːr.əs/
an · ky · lo · sau · rus
Plural:ankylosauruses
•
Adjective:ankylosaurian
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ankylosaurus Lexical Profile

ankylosaurus Game Scores & Validity

• noun

1

A large, herbivorous genus of heavily armored dinosaur that lived during the Late Cretaceous period in what is now western North America, characterized by thick bony plates covering its body and a massive club-like tail.

Synonyms
View all synonyms for ankylosaurus

Word Nuance & Usage

While technically referring specifically to the genus Ankylosaurus, the term is often used casually in popular culture to describe any armored dinosaur belonging to the wider suborder Ankylosauria.

• Rhymes for ankylosaurus

• Nearby Words

ankle
anklebone
anklet
ankylosaurus
ann
ann arbor
anna's hummingbird

Word Origin & Etymology

Coined in 1908 by paleontologist Barnum Brown from Ancient Greek 'ankylos' (fused, crooked, or stiff) and 'sauros' (lizard), a reference to the rigidly fused bones that made up its thick biological armor.

Usage Trend

Historical frequency of usage in published text.

180019102020
Data source: Google Books Ngram Viewer

Cite this Entry

Wordmom. (2026). Definition of Ankylosaurus. In Wordmom Dictionary. Retrieved Nov 5, 2026, from https://wordmom.com/dictionary/ankylosaurus
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