Definition

A type of large, plant-eating dinosaur that lived during the Jurassic and Cretaceous periods, known for its distinctive bony plates along its back and a small head.

Example

The stegosaur is famous for its unique back plates and spiked tail.

Conversation

Have you ever seen a model of a stegosaur?

Yeah, they are fascinating with those big plates on their back.

I read that the stegosaur was a herbivore, which is interesting.

Right? It's amazing how different they were from today's dinosaurs.

Synonyms & Antonyms

Root Explanation

**Stegosaur** → It is formed from "stege" (from Greek *stegos*, meaning roof or covering) and "saur" (from Greek *sauros*, meaning lizard or reptile). The word "stegosaur" refers to a lizard with a roof-like structure on its back, specifically the plates that characterize this dinosaur.

Memory Tip

Imagine a lizard ('saur') with a 'roof' ('stegos') on its back — that's how you can remember that a stegosaur is a dinosaur with a distinctive roof-like appearance.

Visually Confused Words