Definition

A small, horned dinosaur that lived during the late Cretaceous period, known for being herbivorous and lacking prominent horns.

Example

The protoceratops was a small dinosaur that roamed the Earth millions of years ago.

Conversation

Have you ever heard of a protoceratops?

Yeah, I think it was a small dinosaur, right?

Exactly! It was a herbivore that lived in the late Cretaceous period.

That's cool! I love learning about different dinosaurs.

Synonyms & Antonyms

Root Explanation

Protoceratops is formed from "proto-" (meaning first or primitive) and "ceratops" (from Greek "keras" meaning horn and "ops" meaning face). The word refers to a primitive horned face dinosaur, indicating it is one of the earliest members of the ceratopsian group.

Memory Tip

Think of 'proto-' meaning first, and 'ceratops' referring to a horned face — this helps you remember that Protoceratops is a primitive dinosaur with a horned face.

Visually Confused Words