What does the suffix Saurus mean?
Table of Contents
lizard
suffix. 1. Saurus is defined as the scientific word for lizard. An example of saurus used as a suffix is in the word “brontasaurus” which is a type of dinosaur that looks like a big lizard.
Where does the suffix Saurus come from?
From Ancient Greek σαῦρος (saûros, “lizard, reptile”). The broader use, which has become standard especially for dinosaurs, follows some of the earliest non-avian dinosaur genera to be named, particularly Megalosaurus (literally “giant lizard”).
Is it Saur or saurus?
The strict difference between these endings is that ‑saurus indicates a systematic genus name, while ‑saur appears in Anglicized common names.
Why does thesaurus end in saurus?
In thesaurus, the -saurus isn’t a suffix. It’s part of the word. The word actually comes from the Greek word thēsaurós, which means treasure or treasury. In tyrannosaurus, the origin is from the Greek words turannos, which means tyrant, plus the word sauros, which means lizard.
What’s the difference between Saur and saurus?
Greek sauros, lizard. The strict difference between these endings is that ‑saurus indicates a systematic genus name, while ‑saur appears in Anglicized common names.
What is a saurus dinosaur?
When scientists made up names for the animals, they used the Greek word sauros, which means “lizard.” In fact, the term dinosaur is a combination of the Greek words deinos (“terrible”) and sauros, so it means “terrible lizard.”
Why are dinosaurs called Saurus?
Sir Richard Owen came up with the name dinosaur in 1841 to describe the fossils of extinct reptiles. He coined the word by combining the Greek words “deinos”, which means terrible, and “sauros”, which means lizard.
Why do some dinosaur names end in saurus?
What makes a dinosaur a saurus?
What does Tyrannosaurus mean in Greek?
tyrant lizard
“Tyrannosaurus” is Greek for “tyrant lizard,” and “rex” means “king” in Latin. So, Tyrannosaurus rex was “King of the Tyrant Lizards.”