dinosaur
gb/dˈaɪnəsˌɔɹ/ us/dˈaɪnəsˌɔɹ/
A2
English
~ 5800
dinoszaurusz, őskövület
NOUN
A2
1
dinoszaurusz
A2
Scientists discovered a nearly complete dinosaur skeleton in the desert.
Tudósok egy majdnem teljes dinoszauruszcsontvázat fedeztek fel a sivatagban.
My nephew is obsessed with dinosaurs and can name more than twenty species.
Az unokaöcsém a dinoszauruszok megszállottja, és több mint húsz fajt meg tud nevezni.
The film showed a huge dinosaur chasing people through the jungle.
These rocks contain the fossilized eggs of a small plant‑eating dinosaur.
We visited a museum to see the life‑size dinosaur models.
Learner examples
The dinosaur has a very long neck.
A dinoszaurusznak nagyon hosszú nyaka van.
Children often like books about dinosaurs.
A gyerekek gyakran szeretik a dinoszauruszokról szóló könyveket.
Dinosaurs lived on Earth millions of years ago.
There is a big dinosaur skeleton in the museum.
This picture shows three different dinosaurs.
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes treat 'dinosaur' as a general word for any ancient animal, including early humans or mammoths. In modern English, it specifically refers to a group of extinct reptiles, not to all prehistoric creatures.
Meaning
large extinct prehistoric reptile
Collocations
dinosaur fossil
|dinosaur bones
|dinosaur species
|dinosaur museum
|dinosaur extinction
|dinosaur footprint
Synonyms
prehistoric reptile (More technical and general; can include animals other than dinosaurs.)
Themes
science
|nature
|animals
Definition
A very old kind of large reptile that lived long ago and is now gone from the world.
A large, mostly land‑dwelling reptile that lived millions of years ago and is now extinct, known mainly from fossils.
NOUN
B2
INFORMAL
2
őskövület
B2
dinoszaurusz
B2
Usage pattern:
[someone/something] is a dinosaur
Some people call him a dinosaur because he refuses to use email.
Egyesek őskövületnek tartják, mert nem hajlandó e-mailt használni.
Many experts think that companies that ignore climate change will soon look like dinosaurs.
Sok szakértő szerint azok a vállalatok, amelyek figyelmen kívül hagyják a klímaváltozást, hamarosan őskövületnek fognak számítani.
The old software became a dinosaur once cloud services took over the market.
In a world of streaming, that video rental chain quickly turned into a dinosaur.
She worried that her teaching methods were becoming a bit of a dinosaur.
Learner examples
My father is a dinosaur when it comes to smartphones.
Az apám igazi őskövület, ha okostelefonokról van szó.
If this company does not change, it will be a dinosaur.
Ha ez a cég nem változik, őskövületté válik.
Print phone books are dinosaurs in the age of the internet.
He felt like a dinosaur working with so many young people.
Some old laws are dinosaurs and need to change.
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes think this meaning is positive because dinosaurs are exciting animals. In this figurative sense, calling someone a 'dinosaur' is usually negative and means they are out of date. Also, learners may overuse it for any old person; in English it usually implies resistance to change, not just age.
Meaning
very old-fashioned person or thing
Collocations
seen as a dinosaur
|become a dinosaur
|corporate dinosaur
|political dinosaur
|a bit of a dinosaur
|a complete dinosaur
Synonyms
relic (Slightly more formal; can sound less insulting when used about people, and is often used for objects or ideas from the past.)
|
fossil (Informal and often negative when used for people; strongly suggests someone is stuck in the past.)
Antonyms
innovator (Describes a person or organization that creates new ideas or methods, the opposite of being old‑fashioned.)
|
trailblazer (Highlights leading others into new areas, strongly contrasting with being behind the times.)
Themes
work
|technology
|social
|core_vocabulary
|business
Definition
A person, company, or thing that is too old‑fashioned and does not fit well in the modern world.
A person, organization, or thing that is considered very old‑fashioned and unable to keep up with modern ideas or technology.
Grammar
Dictionary form
dinosaur
IPA
GB/dˈaɪnəsˌɔɹ/
US/dˈaɪnəsˌɔɹ/
Syllables & stress
di - no - saur (3 syllables)
Stress on 1st syllable (di)
Word forms
Noun
- Base: dinosaur
- Plural: dinosaurs
Word family
Forms
dinosaurs
noun
Related words
Advanced or less common
paleontology
noun
paleontologist
noun
Expressions
go the way of the dinosaur
1/ɡˈoʊ ðə wˈeɪ əv ðə dˈaɪnəsˌɔɹ/
idiom
to become extinct or obsolete
To disappear or stop existing because it is no longer useful or popular.
Examples
- Many people think paper newspapers will go the way of the dinosaur.
- If they keep ignoring new technology, that company could go the way of the dinosaur.
- Some experts say that cash might eventually go the way of the dinosaur.