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Definition of parasaurolophus
parasaurolophus
/ˌpær.ə.sɔːˈrɑː.lə.fəs/
par · a · sau · rol · o · phus
Plural:parasaurolophuses
parasaurolophus Lexical Profile
CEFR
C1
Grade
6
Tier
3
Usage
Rare
• noun
1
A genus of large, herbivorous hadrosaurid (duck-billed) dinosaurs that lived in North America during the Late Cretaceous period, distinguished by a long, backward-curving cranial crest.
Example
"Paleontologists theorize that the elaborate, hollow crest of the parasaurolophus was used as a resonating chamber to produce low-frequency sounds for communication."
• Nearby Words
Word Origin & Etymology
Coined in 1922 by paleontologist William Parks from the Greek 'para' (near), 'sauros' (lizard), and 'lophos' (crest), implying a close relationship to the previously discovered dinosaur genus Saurolophus.
Usage Trend
Historical frequency of usage in published text.
180019102020
Data source: Google Books Ngram Viewer
Cite this Entry
Wordmom. (2026). Definition of Parasaurolophus. In Wordmom Dictionary. Retrieved Oct 14, 2026, from https://wordmom.com/dictionary/parasaurolophus