dinosaur
n. countablen. a type of animal that lived millions of years ago. You can also use this word to describe a person or thing that is very old-fashioned and cannot change.
n. any of a group of extinct reptiles that dominated the terrestrial environment during the Mesozoic era. In a figurative sense, refers to a person or organization that is outdated or unable to adapt to modern circumstances.
The museum has a huge skeleton of a dinosaur.
The old company went bankrupt because it was a dinosaur that refused to use the internet.
While the fossil record provides evidence of diverse dinosaur species, the term is colloquially applied to any institution that has outlived its practical utility in a digital age.
From Ancient Greek δεινός (deinós, “terrible, awesome, mighty, fearfully great”) + σαῦρος (saûros, “lizard, reptile”). Coined as Dinosaur(s) and Dinosauria by paleontologist Richard Owen in 1841/1842.
Countable in both its biological and figurative senses.