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# triceratops

noun (a triceratops; plural triceratops or triceratopses)

«triceratops» in the English dictionary: everyday — its meanings, how the lessons use it, and examples, each with its tree on Mova.

## Everyday

A large plant-eating dinosaur with three horns on its face and a big bony frill around the back of its head. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/T/triceratops/#m1)

### In the lessons

In science and history lessons on dinosaurs, triceratops is one of the most famous. Its name means «three-horned face». It lived at the end of the age of dinosaurs in North America and may have used its horns and frill for defence and display. In maths: one triceratops has 3 horns, so 4 have 12. Phrases: «a triceratops skeleton», «three-horned».

### Examples

- A triceratops had three horns on its face. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/T/triceratops/#x1)
- The triceratops ate plants, not meat. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/T/triceratops/#x2)
- We saw a triceratops skeleton at the museum. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/T/triceratops/#x3)
- Triceratops may have used its frill to scare enemies. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/T/triceratops/#x4)
- Triceratops means «three-horned face». [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/T/triceratops/#x5)
- Five triceratops have fifteen horns altogether. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/T/triceratops/#x6)
- My little brother's favourite dinosaur is triceratops. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/T/triceratops/#x7)

### Note

Pronounced «try-SERR-a-tops». Plural is often the same: «two triceratops». It is usually not written with a capital in ordinary text, but the scientific name is «Triceratops». Myth trap: triceratops and T. rex lived at the same time, but humans never lived with dinosaurs.

## On Mova

- [Trees and pragmatics of «triceratops» in the school dictionary](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/T/triceratops/): every meaning and example parsed by Mova, with its dependency tree and frames.
- [«triceratops» in the school dictionary](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/dictionaries/school/w/triceratops.html) on Mova free.