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utahraptor

utahraptor

1 9.9
A large meat-eating dinosaur with a long curved claw on each hind foot
  • noun
  • /juˈtɑːræptər/
  • Specialized
: utahraptor
  • Paleontologists believe the utahraptor hunted in packs, using its deadly sickle-shaped claw.

Examples

  • The distinctive foot claw of a utahraptor could grow up to 15 inches long.

  • The fossilized remains of a utahraptor were discovered in eastern Utah.

  • Look at that utahraptor model in the museum!

  • The utahraptor was a formidable predator.

  • Paleontologists believe the utahraptor hunted in packs, using its deadly sickle-shaped claw.

  • The distinctive foot claw of a utahraptor could grow up to 15 inches long.

  • The fossilized remains of a utahraptor were discovered in eastern Utah.

Synonyms

dromaeosaur
vsutahraptor
  • Specialized
1 9.9

A fast two-legged meat-eating dinosaur with a curved claw on each foot

is a specific large early example rather than the whole family
Deinonychus
vsutahraptor
  • Specialized
1 9.9

A fast two-legged meat-eating dinosaur with a large curved claw on each back foot from the time of dinosaurs

is larger and set in the early part of the Cretaceous period
superslasher
vsutahraptor
  • Specialized
9.9

A large, fast meat-eating dinosaur with a big slashing claw on each back foot

omits the exact claw measurement and gives a general long curved claw

Surface Forms

utahraptor singular
utahraptors plural

Morphology

utahraptor = Utah + raptor (semi-transparent) = Utah + raptor

The word is clearly built from the place name 'Utah' and 'raptor', but the full dinosaur name is a specialized taxonomic label rather than a fully predictable everyday compound.

Etymology

Utahraptor comes from the place Utah and the Latin word raptor, which means 'thief' or 'seizer'. So the name paints a clear picture of a fast, clawed hunter found in Utah.