Definition

Noun: 1. A large, herbivorous, bipedal dinosaur: Iguanodon refers to a genus of dinosaur characterized by its large size, plant-eating diet, and ability to walk on two legs. It had a distinctive body shape with a long, heavy tail for balance and thumb spikes that were likely used for defense or foraging. It lived during the early Cretaceous period.

Examples of Usage

• Noun:
  • The first nearly complete Iguanodon skeleton was discovered in a coal mine in Belgium.
  • Iguanodon was one of the first dinosaurs to be scientifically described and named.
  • Paleontologists believe Iguanodon could walk on either two or four legs.

Advanced Usage

• In scientific classification: The name is used as the genus name , which includes several species, such as .
  • The fossil was classified under the genus Iguanodon.

Variants and Related Words

• Iguanodontid (noun): A member of the broader family (Iguanodontidae) of dinosaurs to which belongs, sharing similar characteristics like a beak-like mouth and thumb spikes.
  • Mantellisaurus is another type of iguanodontid.

Synonyms

• Ornithopod dinosaur: This is the larger group (clade Ornithopoda) of bipedal herbivores that includes and its relatives like hadrosaurs.

Notes on Different Meanings

The word iguanodon has a single, specific meaning in paleontology. It does not have different modern meanings or common idiomatic uses. It refers exclusively to this particular genus of extinct reptile.

Noun

1. massive herbivorous bipedal dinosaur with a long heavy tail; common in Europe and northern Africa; early Cretaceous period