Word
raptor
Phoneticsrap·tor
US/ˈɹæptɝ/
UK/ɹˈæptɐ/
Definitions
01bird of prey
n. a bird that hunts and eats other animals, such as an eagle, hawk, or owl.
n. a bird of prey belonging to the orders Accipitriformes, Falconiformes, or Strigiformes, characterized by a hooked beak and sharp talons.
“The eagle is a powerful raptor that can spot its prey from high in the sky.”
“Conservationists are monitoring the local raptor population to ensure that the hawks have enough nesting sites along the cliffs.”
Technical
Usage
Often used in biological or environmental contexts to group eagles, hawks, and owls together.
Synonyms
02dinosaur
n. a small or medium-sized dinosaur that ate meat and had sharp claws on its feet.
n. a dromaeosaurid dinosaur, typically characterized by a large, sickle-shaped claw on each second toe and a presumed high level of agility.
“In the movie, the raptors were shown as very smart and fast hunters.”
“Recent paleontological evidence suggests that many raptors were actually covered in feathers rather than scales.”
Informal · Technical
Teaching tip
While 'raptor' is technically a family name in paleontology, it became a household word largely due to the popularity of the Jurassic Park film franchise.
Synonyms
Etymology
From Middle English raptour, from Latin raptor (“kidnapper, thief”).
Popularized (and possibly coined) in 1990 by Michael Crichton in Jurassic Park; clipping of velociraptor, ultimately of the same etymology as above.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Scan code
englishreference.com/q/raptor