stegosaur

noun

stego·​saur ˈste-gə-ˌsȯr How to pronounce stegosaur (audio)
: any of a suborder (Stegosauria) of quadrupedal ornithischian herbivorous dinosaurs chiefly of the Jurassic with strongly developed dorsal plates and spikes

Examples of stegosaur in a Sentence

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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.
In a study of Miragaia published in the Italian Journal of Paleontology and Stratigraphy, researchers virtually modeled the tail of the stegosaur and its range of motion. — Riley Black, Smithsonian Magazine, 16 Dec. 2024 But not all stegosaurs used their tails the same way. — Riley Black, Smithsonian Magazine, 16 Dec. 2024

Word History

Etymology

New Latin Stegosauria, from Stegosaurus

First Known Use

1897, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of stegosaur was in 1897

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Cite this Entry

“Stegosaur.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/stegosaur. Accessed 23 Mar. 2025.

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More from Merriam-Webster on stegosaur

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about stegosaur

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