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Definition of spinosaurus
spinosaurus
/ˌspaɪnoʊˈsɔːrəs/
spi · no · sau · rus
Plural:spinosauruses
spinosaurus Lexical Profile
CEFR
B2
Grade
6
Tier
3
Usage
Rare
• noun
1
A large, semi-aquatic carnivorous theropod dinosaur from the Late Cretaceous period, native to North Africa, characterized by its long, crocodile-like snout and a massive sail-like structure on its back.
Example
"Paleontological discoveries suggest that the spinosaurus was an adept swimmer, hunting large fish in ancient river systems."
Synonyms
View all synonyms for spinosaurus• Rhymes for spinosaurus
• Nearby Words
Word Origin & Etymology
Derived from Latin 'spina' (spine) and Greek 'sauros' (lizard). Named by German paleontologist Ernst Stromer in 1915, referring to the large neural spines on the animal's back.
Usage Trend
Historical frequency of usage in published text.
180019102020
Data source: Google Books Ngram Viewer
Cite this Entry
Wordmom. (2026). Definition of Spinosaurus. In Wordmom Dictionary. Retrieved Oct 14, 2026, from https://wordmom.com/dictionary/spinosaurus