noun
Meaning 1
A bird of prey.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
Standard Lemma guide
raptor
Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.
Sound
Pronunciation
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Received-Pronunciation: /ˈɹæptə/
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Southern-England: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
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General-American: /ˈɹæptɚ/
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rhymes with -æptə(ɹ)
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CMU ARPABET: R AE1 P T ER0 Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.
noun
Meaning 2
One who ravishes or plunders.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: obsolete
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
noun
Meaning 3
One of the dromaeosaurs, a family of carnivorous dinosaurs having tearing claws on the hind legs.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: informal
Topics: biology, history, human-sciences, natural-sciences, paleontology, sciences
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
noun
Meaning 4
any of numerous carnivorous birds that hunt and kill other animals
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: bird of prey, raptorial bird
Antonyms: none provided
Broader terms: bird
Narrower terms: Accipitriformes, order Accipitriformes, hawk, eagle, bird of Jove, vulture, secretary bird, Sagittarius serpentarius, owl, bird of Minerva, bird of night, hooter
History
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.
Across languages
Translations
1 source translations are retained for this English entry.
- Polish: dromeozaur — dromaeosaur
Real reading context