dicynodont

noun

di·​cyn·​o·​dont (ˌ)dī-ˈsi-nō-ˌdänt How to pronounce dicynodont (audio)
-ˈsī-
: any of a suborder (Dicynodontia) of small, herbivorous, therapsid vertebrates with reduced dentition
dicynodont adjective

Examples of dicynodont in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
While dicynodonts and humans never overlapped on the planet, dicynodont fossils have been found everywhere in the Karoo. — Discover Magazine, 18 Oct. 2024 The parallels in the drawing to the dicynodont fossils are striking. — Paul Smaglik, Discover Magazine, 19 Sep. 2024

Word History

Etymology

borrowed from New Latin dicynodont- (taken as stem of Dicynodon, genus name), from di- di- + Greek kyn- (stem of kyṓn "dog") + -odont- -odont; so named from the two canine-like tusks in the upper jaw — more at hound entry 1

First Known Use

1854, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of dicynodont was in 1854

Rhymes for dicynodont

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Browse Nearby Words

Dicynodon
dicynodont
Dicynodontia
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Cite this Entry

“Dicynodont.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/dicynodont. Accessed 31 Mar. 2025.

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