ornithischian

or·nith·is·chi·an  (ôrn-thsk-n)

n.

A dinosaur of the order Ornithischia, having a pelvic structure similar to that of birds.

adj.

Of, belonging to, or characteristic of the order Ornithischia.

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[From New Latin Ornthischia, order name : ornith(o)- + Greek iskhion, hip joint.]

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ornithischian  (ôrn-thsk-n)

Any of various dinosaurs belonging to the group Ornithischia, one of the two main divisions of dinosaurs. Ornithischians had a pelvis similar to that of modern birds (although birds are not descended from them), in which part of the pubis pointed backwards and parallel to the ischium. They also had a special bone in front of the lower jaw (called the predentary bone), and frequently had armor plating or bony outgrowths of the skull. Ornithischians comprise all the herbivorous dinosaurs except the sauropods, and include ankylosaurs, hadrosaurs, stegosaurs, and ceratopsians. Compare saurischian.

Thesaurus

Noun

1.

ornithischian - herbivorous dinosaur with a pelvis like that of a bird ornithischian dinosaur dinosaur - any of numerous extinct terrestrial reptiles of the Mesozoic era order Ornithischia, Ornithischia - extinct terrestrial reptiles having bird-like pelvises: armored dinosaurs (thyreophorans); boneheaded and horned dinosaurs (marginocephalians); duck-billed dinosaurs (euronithopods) pisanosaur, pisanosaurus - primitive dinosaur found in Argentina staurikosaur, staurikosaurus - primitive dinosaur found in Brazil armored dinosaur - dinosaurs having bony armour bone-headed dinosaur - bipedal herbivorous dinosaurs with bony crowns ceratopsian, horned dinosaur - any of several four-footed herbivorous dinosaurs with enormous beaked skulls; of the late Cretaceous in North America and Mongolia ornithopod, ornithopod dinosaur - bipedal herbivorous dinosaur duck-billed dinosaur, hadrosaur, hadrosaurus - any of numerous large bipedal ornithischian dinosaurs having a horny duck-like bill and webbed feet; may have been partly aquatic