ceratopsian (redirected from Ceratopsians)

cer·a·top·si·an  (sr-tps-n)

n.

Any of various herbivorous quadrupedal ornithischian dinosaurs of the suborder Ceratopsia of the late Jurassic and Cretaceous periods, having a bony frill covering the neck, a beaked mouth, and one or more horns on the head.

---

[From New Latin Certpsia, suborder name : Greek keras, kert-, horn; see ker-¹ in Indo-European roots + Greek ps, eye, face; see ok^w- in Indo-European roots.]

---

cera·topsi·an adj.

---

ceratopsian  (sr-tps-n)

Any of various dinosaurs of the group Ceratopsia of the late Jurassic and Cretaceous Periods. Ceratopsians were ornithischians characterized by skulls with a parrotlike beak, a broad bony frill extending back over the neck, and often one or more horns. Most ceratopsians walked on all fours and grew to medium or large size. Triceratops was a ceratopsian.

Thesaurus

Noun

1.

ceratopsian - any of several four-footed herbivorous dinosaurs with enormous beaked skulls; of the late Cretaceous in North America and Mongolia horned dinosaur ornithischian, ornithischian dinosaur - herbivorous dinosaur with a pelvis like that of a bird Ceratopsia, suborder Ceratopsia - horned dinosaurs protoceratops - small horned dinosaur triceratops - huge ceratopsian dinosaur having three horns and the neck heavily armored with a very solid frill styracosaur, styracosaurus - an unusual ceratopsian dinosaur having many large spikes around the edge of its bony frill and a long nose horn; late Cretaceous psittacosaur, psittacosaurus - primitive dinosaur actually lacking horns and having only the beginning of a frill; long hind limbs and short forelimbs; may have been bipedal