ankylosaurus
- noun
- /ˌæŋkɪloʊˈsɔːrəs/
- Specialized
:
ankilosaurio
- Its well-identified characteristics are the heavily armored physique and massive bony tail club, but Ankylosaurus was the largest known member of the family.
Examples
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With its heavy body and club-like tail, the ankylosaurus was well-adapted to survive in the late Cretaceous environment.
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The ankylosaurus roamed the Earth about 66 million years ago, using its strong armor to defend itself from predators.
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Paleontologists believe the ankylosaurus likely used its tail as a weapon against large carnivorous dinosaurs.
Synonyms
1
9.9
A large plant-eating dinosaur with heavy armor and a club-like tail to defend itself
A dinosaur with bony plates on its body for protection
Surface Forms
Morphology
ankylosaurus = ankylos + saurus (opaque) = ankylos + saurus
Both constituents are technical combining forms used in taxonomic names and are not readily interpretable by an average B1 learner, so the meaning cannot be derived without specialized knowledge.
Etymology
Ankylosaurus comes from Greek parts ankylos meaning 'fused' or 'bent' and saurus meaning 'lizard', the same saurus in Tyrannosaurus, so it literally means 'fused lizard'. The name fits because its bones and armor plates were joined into a hard shell and it had a clubbed tail to protect itself.