'ankylosaurid' originates from Modern Latin (taxonomic usage), specifically the family name 'Ankylosauridae', where Greek 'ankylos' meant 'fused' or 'bent' and Greek 'sauros' meant 'lizard', with the suffix '-id' denoting 'belonging to' or 'descendant of'.

'ankylosaurid' changed from the Modern Latin family name 'Ankylosauridae' (formed from Greek roots 'ankylos' + 'sauros') and eventually became the English taxonomic noun 'ankylosaurid'.

Initially it meant 'a member of the taxonomic family Ankylosauridae', and over time this specific taxonomic meaning has been retained in modern usage.