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dinosaurio

dee-noh-SOW-ryoh/dinoˈsauɾjo/

“dinosaurio” means “dinosaur” in Spanish. It has 2 different meanings depending on context:

dinosaur

NounmA1
A friendly green long-necked dinosaur standing in a lush prehistoric jungle.

📝 In Action

Mi hijo tiene un dinosaurio de juguete en su cama.

A1

My son has a toy dinosaur on his bed.

Los dinosaurios vivieron hace millones de años.

A2

Dinosaurs lived millions of years ago.

El museo tiene un esqueleto de dinosaurio muy grande.

B1

The museum has a very large dinosaur skeleton.

Word Connections

Synonyms

  • saurio (saurian/reptile)

Common Collocations

  • extinción de los dinosaurios – extinction of the dinosaurs
  • era de los dinosaurios – age of dinosaurs
  • fósil de dinosaurio – dinosaur fossil

dinosaur

Also: old fogey
NounmB2informal
An old-fashioned rotary telephone sitting on a modern minimalist desk.

📝 In Action

Ese político es un dinosaurio que no entiende el internet.

B2

That politician is a dinosaur who doesn't understand the internet.

Mi vieja computadora es un dinosaurio; tarda horas en encender.

B1

My old computer is a dinosaur; it takes hours to turn on.

Word Connections

Synonyms

  • anticuado (old-fashioned)
  • carcamal (old timer/geezer)

Antonyms

Common Collocations

  • dinosaurio de la política – political dinosaur

Vocabulary Collections

Translate to Spanish

Words that translate to "dinosaurio" in Spanish:

dinosaur→old fogey→

✏️ Quick Practice

Quick Quiz: dinosaurio

Question 1 of 3

¿Cuál es el género de la palabra 'dinosaurio'?

📚 More Resources

👥 Word Family▼
dinosáurico(dinosaur-like) — Adjective
dinosaurio(dinosaur) — Noun
🎵 Rhymes▼
centuriomercuriotugurio
📚 Etymology▼

From Greek words 'deinos' (terrible/fearsome) and 'sauros' (lizard). It literally means 'terrible lizard'.

First recorded: 19th century (scientific term)

Cognates (Related words)

English: dinosaurFrench: dinosaureItalian: dinosauro

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Frequently Asked Questions

Is there a feminine version like 'dinosauria'?

No. While you might hear it in cartoons or jokes, the grammatically correct word for both male and female dinosaurs is 'el dinosaurio'.

How do I pronounce the 'au' in dinosaurio?

It sounds like the 'ou' in 'house'. Slide your voice from an 'ah' sound to an 'ooh' sound quickly.

Can I use 'dinosaurio' to mean 'old' for any object?

Yes, it is very common to call old, slow, or bulky technology a 'dinosaurio' to joke about how outdated it is.