Allosaurid

Part of speech: noun, adjective

Definitions

1. A member of a family of large carnivorous dinosaurs known for their distinctive skull and sharp teeth that lived during the Late Jurassic period; an extinct predator characterized by robust limbs and a bipedal stance; a prehistoric reptile species classified within the larger group of theropod dinosaurs renowned for hunting prey
2. A type of large, meat-eating dinosaur identified by specific skeletal features such as a large skull and serrated teeth, primarily existing in the Late Jurassic era; a dominant bipedal predator with powerful limbs; a fossil group within the theropods recognized for its hunting adaptations
3. A category of large terrestrial predators from the Jurassic period with defining traits including strong jaws and sharp teeth, belonging to an extinct family of dinosaurs; creatures moving chiefly on two legs; part of the theropod lineage famed for predatory behavior and anatomical distinctiveness

Etymology: Before it named a family, the root of this term was a single animal's name. "Allosaurus" combines the Greek "allos," meaning "other" or "different," with "sauros," meaning "lizard," so the genus name means roughly "different lizard." The name was given to the genus, and the family name was later built from it. "Allosaurid" is formed by adding the suffix "-id" to "Allosaurus." In zoological naming, "-id" marks membership in a family, and it comes from the Greek and Latin family-ending pattern "-idae." An allosaurid is therefore a member of the family Allosauridae, the group named after Allosaurus.

Synonyms: allosaur, allosaurid dinosaur