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bone-headed dinosaur

bone-headed dinosaur

9.2
A two-legged plant-eating dinosaur with a thick rounded skull
  • noun
  • /ˈboʊnˌhɛdɪd ˈdaɪnəsɔr/
  • Specialized
translation icon : dinosaurio de cabeza ósea
  • The bone-headed dinosaur was known for its thick skull, possibly used for head-butting.

Examples

  • Paleontologists discovered a partial skeleton of a bone-headed dinosaur in the Montana badlands.

  • Many scientists believe that the bone-headed dinosaur roamed in herds during the late Cretaceous period.

  • The bone-headed dinosaur roamed the plains millions of years ago.

  • Did you know the bone-headed dinosaur had a thick skull?

  • Many scientists believe that the bone-headed dinosaur roamed in herds during the late Cretaceous period.

  • Paleontologists discovered a partial skeleton of a bone-headed dinosaur in the Montana badlands.

  • The bone-headed dinosaur was known for its thick skull, possibly used for head-butting.

Synonyms

pachycephalosaur
vsbone-headed dinosaur
  • Specialized
1 9.9

A large two-legged plant-eating dinosaur with a thick rounded skull used for head-butting

is the general name for that group highlighting the domed skull
Pachycephalosaurus
vsbone-headed dinosaur
  • Specialized
1 9.9

A dinosaur that eats plants and has a thick, rounded skull

is a broader nontechnical label for similar dome-skulled herbivores

Surface Forms

Morphology

bone-headed + dinosaur

The compound is compositionally transparent: 'bone' + 'headed' describes having a head characterized by bone (i.e., a bony or bone-like head), following common adjective+headed patterns (e.g., red-headed). Although 'bone-headed' can be an idiom meaning 'stupid' in other contexts, the collocate 'dinosaur' and the biological definition make the literal, physical reading clear to a learner who knows the constituents.

Etymology

The noun bone-headed dinosaur comes from its very thick, bony skull: it looked as if a thick bone sat on its head. Scientists think these dinosaurs used that dome to 'head-butt' rivals, so the name points to the animal's shape and likely behaviour.