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dei·non·y·chus

(dī-nŏnĭ-kəs)

A small carnivorous theropod dinosaur of the genus Deinonychus of the Cretaceous Period, characterized by sickle-shaped talons and powerful jaws.

[New Latin Deinonychus, genus name : Greek deinos, fearful, terrifying + Greek onux, onukh-, nail, claw; see nogh- in the Appendix of Indo-European roots.]

Indo-European & Semitic Roots Appendices

Thousands of entries in the dictionary include etymologies that trace their origins back to reconstructed proto-languages. You can obtain more information about these forms in our online appendices:

Indo-European Roots

Semitic Roots

The Indo-European appendix covers nearly half of the Indo-European roots that have left their mark on English words. A more complete treatment of Indo-European roots and the English words derived from them is available in our Dictionary of Indo-European Roots.

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