T. rex

noun

ˈtē-ˈreks 

variants or less commonly T-Rex

plural T. rexes also T-Rexes

: tyrannosaurus rex

Though no one can actually time a running dinosaur with a stopwatch, scientists still have some idea of how fast T. rex and his companions ran.

—Lilian T. Hoffecker

We don't know if T. rex hunted alone or in packs, if it pursued live prey or merely scavenged.

—Discover Magazine

Spielberg's dinosaurs had teeth prominently and terrifyingly on constant display, much like a modern crocodile. [Auburn University professor Thomas] Cullen and his team, however, have shown instead that the T-Rex … had lips that covered their teeth much like a modern monitor lizard.

—John West

T. rexes were among the largest meat-eaters on Earth during their reign … 144 million years ago. They had to eat a lot, and often, to support their enormous bodies.

—John Johnson Jr.

Examples of T. rex in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Rather than being just one main lineage of tyrannosaurs before T. rex, at least three roamed the Earth. —Riley Black, Smithsonian Magazine, 16 Dec. 2024

The 40-foot-long specimen—one of the largest T. rex skeletons ever found—remains a centerpiece of the museum's collection. —Paul Du Quenoy, Newsweek, 9 Dec. 2024

But, according to Persons, a huge predator like T. rex could likely bring things up to a meaningful pace at around 25 mph. —Sara Novak, Discover Magazine, 26 Nov. 2024

The museum also has art—check out a four-foot replica of a titanosaur turd or admire The Stinker, a bronze statue of a T. rex sitting on a toilet inspired by Auguste Rodin’s The Thinker. —Sarah Kuta, Smithsonian Magazine, 22 Oct. 2024

Word History

Etymology

New Latin, short for Tyrannosaurus rex

First Known Use

1915, in the meaning defined above

Kids Definition

T. rex

noun

ˈtē-ˈreks 

: tyrannosaur