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Definition of troodon

troodon

/ˈtroʊ.əˌdɑːn/
tro · o · don
Plural:troodons
•
Adjective:troodontid
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troodon Lexical Profile

• noun

1

A genus of small, lightly built, bird-like theropod dinosaur from the Late Cretaceous period of North America, widely recognized for its large eyes, grasping hands, and exceptionally high brain-to-body mass ratio.

Synonyms
View all synonyms for troodon

Word Nuance & Usage

While historically popular in dinosaur literature, 'Troodon' is increasingly considered a dubious genus (nomen dubium) by modern paleontologists, with many fossils historically assigned to it now reclassified under 'Stenonychosaurus' or 'Latenivenatrix'.

• Nearby Words

trombonist
tromp
trondheim
troodon
troop
trooper
troops

Word Origin & Etymology

Coined in 1856 by American paleontologist Joseph Leidy from the Greek words 'trōō' (to wound) and 'odōn' (tooth), referring to the dinosaur's prominently serrated teeth.

Usage Trend

Historical frequency of usage in published text.

180019102020
Data source: Google Books Ngram Viewer

Cite this Entry

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