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Glite Dictionary
stegosaurus

stegosaurus

1 8.2
A large dinosaur that ate plants with plates on its back and spikes on its tail
  • noun
  • /ˌstɛɡəˈsɔrəs/
  • Specialized
translation icon : estegosaurio
  • The Colorado State Fossil (a state "rock," get it?) is a stegosaurus.

Examples

  • At the museum, children were fascinated to see the skeleton of a stegosaurus on display.

  • A sleeve patch features the Colorado state fossil—a stegosaurus—as a mascot.

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  • The paleontologist explained how the stegosaurus used its bony plates for protection against predators.

  • Many people are amazed by the stegosaurus because of its distinct spiked tail and large size.

Synonyms

stegosaur
vsstegosaurus
  • Specialized
1 9.5

A large plant-eating dinosaur with upright bony plates along its back and a spiked tail

is the specific scientific name for the same animal
stegosaurian
vsstegosaurus
  • Specialized
9.9

A dinosaur that eats plants and has bony back plates or spikes

is about one particular species rather than the whole group

Compounds

Stegosaurus stenops
  • Specialized
9.1

A large plant-eating dinosaur with upright plates on its back and a spiked tail

Surface Forms

stegosaurus singular
stegosauruses plural

Morphology

stegosaurus = stego + saurus (semi-transparent) = stego + saurus

The name is a compound of combining forms meaning roughly 'roof' + 'lizard', so the components map to the definition, but these are specialized combining forms not familiar to most B1 learners.

Etymology

The word stegosaurus comes from Greek parts stego- 'roof' and -saurus 'lizard', so it means 'roof lizard'. Think of the plates on its back like roof tiles, and that image explains why the dinosaur is known for its row of plates and spiked tail.