saber-toothed tiger
Definition
Noun: 1. An extinct prehistoric predator: A saber-toothed tiger is any of numerous extinct species of large, carnivorous mammals (not true tigers) characterized by extremely long, curved upper canine teeth resembling sabers. They lived from the Oligocene epoch through the Pleistocene epoch across the Old and New Worlds.
Usage
The term is used to refer to these prehistoric creatures in scientific, educational, and popular contexts. * Fossil evidence shows the saber-toothed tiger was an apex predator of its time. * The museum's exhibit features a complete skeleton of a saber-toothed tiger. * Many children are fascinated by the fearsome appearance of the saber-toothed tiger.
Advanced Usage
- The term "saber-toothed tiger" is a common name; the scientifically more accurate general term is saber-toothed cat or the family name Machairodontinae. Not all saber-toothed cats were tigers.
- Smilodon is the most famous genus of saber-toothed cat, often mistakenly called a saber-toothed tiger.
Variants and Related Words
- Saber-toothed cat (n): A more precise scientific term for the same group of extinct predators.
- Sabre-toothed tiger (n): An alternative spelling, primarily British English.
- Smilodon (n): The best-known genus of saber-toothed cat, which lived in the Americas during the Pleistocene.
Synonyms
- Saber-tooth
- Sabre-tooth (British English spelling)
Related Idioms/Phrases
- (Like) a saber-toothed tiger: Used metaphorically to describe something or someone as fiercely predatory, ancient, or obsolete.
- In the boardroom, he fought for the deal like a saber-toothed tiger.
- That old operating system is a saber-toothed tiger in the world of modern computing.
Noun
-
any of many extinct cats of the Old and New Worlds having long swordlike upper canine teeth; from the Oligocene through the Pleistocene
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