ceratopsian

noun

cer·​a·​top·​sian ˌser-ə-ˈtäp-sē-ən 

: any of a suborder (Ceratopsia) of ornithischian dinosaurs of the Late Cretaceous having horns, a sharp horny beak, and a bony frill projecting backward from the skull

ceratopsian adjective

Examples of ceratopsian in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Despite its fierce appearance, this famous ceratopsian, or horned dinosaur, was an herbivore. —Amy McKeever, National Geographic, 14 Sep. 2020

Dino Hunters With winter looming, Clayton and Luke race to excavate two massive triceratops skulls, while the Harris-Bolan crew searches for a missing femur from their rare ceratopsian. —Los Angeles Times, 3 Sep. 2021

The dinosaur belonged to the ceratopsians, which were plant-eaters that included the iconic Triceratops. —Fox News, 1 May 2020

A few months later, amateur paleontologist Clayton Phipps discovered a 22-foot-long carnivorous theropod and a 28-foot-long plant-eating ceratopsian believed to have died 66 million years ago. —Amy Beth Hanson, SFChronicle.com, 9 Nov. 2019

Word History

Etymology

New Latin Ceratopsia, from Ceratops, a genus, from Greek kerat-, keras horn + ōps face — more at horn, eye

First Known Use

1909, in the meaning defined above