sauropod
|sau-ro-pod|
🇺🇸
/ˈsɔːrəˌpɑd/
🇬🇧
/ˈsɔːrəpɒd/
long-necked, 'lizard-foot' giant dinosaur
Etymology
'sauropod' originates from New Latin, specifically the taxonomic name 'Sauropoda', where Greek 'sauros' meant 'lizard' and Greek 'pous' (stem 'pod-') meant 'foot'.
'sauropod' developed from the New Latin taxonomic name 'Sauropoda' (formed in the 19th century from Greek elements) and was adopted into English as the common noun 'sauropod' to denote members of that group.
Initially it referred to the scientific group 'Sauropoda' (a taxonomic name); over time it has been used in general English to mean any member of that group — especially large, long-necked dinosaurs.
Meanings by Part of Speech
Noun 1
any large, typically long-necked, quadrupedal herbivorous dinosaur of the clade Sauropoda, characterized by long necks and tails, small heads, and massive bodies (e.g., Brachiosaurus, Diplodocus, Apatosaurus).
The Diplodocus is a well-known sauropod from the Late Jurassic.
Synonyms
Last updated: 2026/01/10 01:14