raptor
UK /ˈɹæptə/ · US /ˈɹæptɚ/ noun
Forms raptors rapter raptour
- noun A bird of prey.
- noun (obsolete) One who ravishes or plunders.
- noun (informal, paleontology) One of the dromaeosaurs, a family of carnivorous dinosaurs having tearing claws on the hind legs.
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.
Webster’s 1913
Etymology [L. raptor, from rapere to ravish. See Rapid.]
Sources: Wiktionary · WordNet 3.0 · Webster’s 1913 — from the Wiktionary entry “raptor”, CC BY-SA 4.0. Details