n. Any of various theropod dinosaurs of the group Tetanurae of the Jurassic and Cretaceous Periods, characterized by a stiff tail and large grasping hands with three digits, and including the carnosaurs and coelurosaurs. [From New Latin Tetanūrae, group name : Greek tetanos, rigid; see ten- in the Appendix of Indo-European roots + Greek ourā, tail; see ors- in the Appendix of Indo-European roots.] tet′a·nuran adj. |
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition copyright ©2022 by HarperCollins Publishers. All rights reserved.







