# dinosaur

/ˈdaɪnəˌsɔɹ/ (US) · /dˈaɪnəsˌɔː/ (UK)

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/dinosaur
Updated: 2026-06-20

## Senses

### 1. extinct animal

noun · CEFR A1

a type of animal that lived millions of years ago and is now extinct.

For teachers: any of the diverse group of reptiles within the clade Dinosauria that were the dominant terrestrial vertebrates from the Triassic to the Cretaceous.

- The children were excited to see the huge dinosaur skeletons at the museum.
- Paleontologists continue to debate whether certain dinosaur species were endothermic or if their metabolic rates shifted with environmental temperatures.

### 2. old-fashioned person or thing

noun · CEFR B2 · Informal · Humorous

someone or something that is very old, out of date, or refuses to change.

For teachers: a person, organisation, or technology regarded as obsolete or stubbornly resistant to modern progress.

- My grandfather calls himself a dinosaur because he refuses to use a smartphone.
- The company was once a market leader, but it has become a corporate dinosaur, unable to compete with more agile tech startups.

Usage: Often used as a mild insult or a self-deprecating joke about being behind the times.

## Examples

- 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.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.