Tyrannosaurus rex

noun

Ty·​ran·​no·​sau·​rus rex tə-ˌra-nə-ˈsȯr-əs-ˈreks How to pronounce Tyrannosaurus rex (audio)
(ˌ)tī-
variants or Tyrannosaurus Rex or less commonly Tyrannosaurus or tyrannosaurus or tyrannosaurus rex
plural Tyrannosaurus rexes or Tyrannosaurus Rexes also Tyrannosauruses or tyrannosauruses or tyrannosaurus rexes
: a massive North American bipedal tyrannosaurid dinosaur (Tyrannosaurus rex) of the late Cretaceous with a large skull, heavy tail, and reduced forelimbs having two clawed digits : tyrannosaur sense 1
Tyrannosaurus rex was … one of the biggest meat-eaters ever. It was over 40 feet tall, and weighed up to 7 tons!Wendy Larson
A study of the running ability of Tyrannosaurus Rex … suggests that the king of the prehistoric jungle wasn't quite the speedster we once thought.Andrea Dorfman et al.
During this period, many groups of dinosaurs, including the fearsome tyrannosaurus and the three-horned triceratops, reached their greatest size, 12 meters (40 feet) and 9 meters (30 feet) long, respectively.Joseph Wallace
… in a room full of Tyrannosaurus rexes I meet museum volunteers … who are using brushes and tiny picks on fossils in an area where people can watch and ask questions.Mel White
True, there may no longer be actual tyrannosauruses running amok, but there are still dinosaur descendants hanging around, and they may even be in your backyard: birds, of course!Emily Graham

called also T. rex

Examples of Tyrannosaurus rex in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web The fierce Tyrannosaurus rex is well known for its boxy head, sharp teeth, and petite arms. Elizabeth Gamillo, Discover Magazine, 27 Feb. 2024 Around two million people visit each year to explore its fossils, ancient cultures, and to meet Sue, the largest and most complete Tyrannosaurus rex skeleton ever discovered. Meena Thiruvengadam, Travel + Leisure, 21 Feb. 2024 New dinosaur discovery may be the closest relative to Tyrannosaurus rex, scientists say Scientists report that Ceoptera evansae's incomplete fossil remains were first discovered in 2006 on a small beach along the coastline of Loch Scavaig, on the Strathaird Peninsula in the Isle of Skye. Leah Sarnoff, ABC News, 7 Feb. 2024 Scientists built a robotic dinosaur to terrify grasshoppers, all in hopes of understanding how truly pathetic wings could offer prehistoric animals an evolutionary advantage By Meghan Bartels In any group, not everyone can be a fearsome Tyrannosaurus rex or a majestic Triceratops. Meghan Bartels, Scientific American, 25 Jan. 2024 The firm only recently cleared out a garage filled with layers of ephemera from a few years of projects, but the backyard is still guarded by a green statue of a Tyrannosaurus rex. Steve Appleford, Los Angeles Times, 20 Jan. 2024 The Tyrannosaurus rex seemingly came out of nowhere tens of millions of years ago, with its monstrous teeth and powerful jaws dominating the end of the age of the dinosaurs. CBS News, 11 Jan. 2024 Their research, published Thursday in the journal Scientific Reports, suggests a new chapter could be added to the origin story of Tyrannosaurus rex. Asher Elbein, New York Times, 11 Jan. 2024 Walk with a dinosaur herd, dig for fossils, and see the dinosaur king: Tyrannosaurus rex! John Coffren, Baltimore Sun, 11 Jan. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'Tyrannosaurus rex.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

New Latin

First Known Use

1905, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of Tyrannosaurus rex was in 1905

Dictionary Entries Near Tyrannosaurus rex

Cite this Entry

“Tyrannosaurus rex.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/Tyrannosaurus%20rex. Accessed 18 Mar. 2024.

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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