oviraptor

noun

ovi·​rap·​tor ˈō-və-ˌrap-tər How to pronounce oviraptor (audio)
: any of a genus (Oviraptor) of bipedal theropod dinosaurs of the Late Cretaceous having a toothless muscular jaw, clawed finger and toes, and a crested skull and that are thought to have exhibited brooding behavior

Examples of oviraptor in a Sentence

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At the same time, researchers believe an Asian oviraptor, the 26-foot-long Gigantoraptor, should be reclassified as a Caenaghathid based on similarities its shares with A. wyliei. Gemma Tarlach, Discover Magazine, 19 Mar. 2014 The first oviraptor fossil -- from a family of dinosaurs with parrotlike beaks -- was discovered in Mongolia in the 1920s, lying near a nest of eggs thought to belong to a rival. Katie Hunt, CNN, 17 Apr. 2022 Families can interact with animatronic dinos including herrerasaurus, amargasaurus, iguanodon, neovenator, oviraptor, protoceratops, velociraptor, hadrosaur, leallynasaura, minmi, Spinosaurus, triceratops and the ever-popular Tyrannosaurus rex. Susan Dunne, courant.com, 13 Apr. 2021 Highly detailed fossils dating back 70-80 million years included eggs and a nest of oviraptors that perished together. David Harten, The Courier-Journal, 2 Feb. 2020 But the 2007 discovery opened the possibility that little Louie could an oviraptor. Jason Daley, Smithsonian, 10 May 2017

Word History

Etymology

New Latin, from ov- + Latin raptor plunderer — more at raptor

First Known Use

1924, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of oviraptor was in 1924

Dictionary Entries Near oviraptor

Cite this Entry

“Oviraptor.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/oviraptor. Accessed 22 Dec. 2024.

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