velociraptor

[ vuh-los-uh-rap-ter, ‐tawr ]

noun
  1. a small carnivorous dinosaur of the genus Velociraptor, from the late Cretaceous period, capable of leaping, and growing to a length of about 6 feet (2 meters), having feathers, a flat snout, short forelimbs with large handlike talons, and a large sickle-shaped claw on each foot.

Origin of velociraptor

1
1920–25; <New Latin, equivalent to veloci-, stem of vēlox “swift, quick” + raptor

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024

Scientific definitions for velociraptor

velociraptor

[ və-lŏsə-răp′tər ]


  1. A small, fast, carnivorous dinosaur of the genus Velociraptor of the Cretaceous Period that was about 2 m (6.5 ft) in length. It had long curved claws for grasping and tearing at prey, walked on two legs that were adapted for leaping, and had a long stiff tail used as a counterweight. Velociraptors were a kind of raptor.

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