Definition

Noun 1. A large carnivorous bipedal dinosaur: Tyrannosaurus rex refers to a specific genus of very large, meat-eating dinosaur that walked on two powerful hind legs. It is characterized by its enormous skull, powerful jaws, and large, serrated teeth. 2. A Late Cretaceous period dinosaur: This dinosaur lived in what is now western North America during the late Cretaceous period, approximately 68 to 66 million years ago. 3. A potential scavenger: Some scientific interpretations suggest it may have been primarily a scavenger, feeding on already dead animals, rather than solely an active predator that hunted live prey.

Usage Examples

• The museum's most famous exhibit is the skeleton of a Tyrannosaurus rex.
• Paleontologists debate whether Tyrannosaurus rex was a fierce hunter or a dominant scavenger.
• The Tyrannosaurus rex is one of the most widely recognized dinosaurs in popular culture.

Advanced Usage

• Scientific Classification: The full binomial name is always italicized: . The genus name () is capitalized, while the species epithet () is not.
• Informal Abbreviation: In casual contexts, it is often abbreviated as "T. rex" (also italicized in scientific writing).
  • The film featured a terrifying T. rex.

Variants and Related Words

• Tyrannosaurid (noun): A member of the family Tyrannosauridae, which includes and its close relatives like and .
• Theropod (noun): The broader suborder of bipedal, mostly carnivorous dinosaurs to which belongs.

Synonyms

• T. rex (abbreviation)
• Tyrant lizard king (literal translation of the Latin/Greek etymology)

Related Phrases and Cultural References

• "The king of the dinosaurs": A common epithet for , referencing its species name , which is Latin for "king."
• It is a central figure in media franchises like , often symbolizing ultimate prehistoric power and ferocity.

Noun

1. large carnivorous bipedal dinosaur having enormous teeth with knifelike serrations; may have been a scavenger rather than an active predator; later Cretaceous period in North America