Meanings
- not comparablebiologyBelonging to the clade †Ornithischia, a group of primarily herbivorous dinosaurs characterized by a pubis that projects backwards, running parallel to the ischium.
The only way to really tell the difference between a bird-hipped and lizard-hipped dinosaur is to examine their pelvis, or hip girdle.
1990, Teri Degler, Everything Your Kids Wanted to Know About Dinosaurs but Were Afraid to Ask, Saskatoon, Saskatchewan: Western Producer Prairie Books, page 852 more examples
All dinosaurs belonged to a group of reptiles called archosaurs. There were two separate types of dinosaur, the lizard-hipped dinosaurs (saurischians) and the bird-hipped dinosaurs (ornithischians).
1975, The World of Dinosaurs, New York: Banner Press, Inc., page 8Scientists classify dinosaurs in two main orders based on the shape of their hips. All dinosaurs were either lizard-hipped or bird-hipped.
1989, Karen Liptak, Pangaea: The Mother Continent, Tucson: Harbinger House, Inc., page 30
Origin
- Ancient Greekὄρνις“bird”
- taxonomic nameOrnithischia
- Englishbird-hipped
Calque of taxonomic name Ornithischia, from Ancient Greek ὄρνις (órnis, “bird”) + ἰσχίον (iskhíon, “hip joint”). In reference to the pelvic structures' superficial similarity to that of birds.
More words from taxonomic name, Ancient Greek
Full word history & related roots →Cite this entry
bird-hipped. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 4, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/bird-hipped
“bird-hipped.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/bird-hipped. Accessed November 4, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “bird-hipped,” accessed November 4, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/bird-hipped.
Source: bird-hipped on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.