dinosaur
NounOpen English WordNet
Noun (1)dinosaurs
- any of numerous extinct terrestrial reptiles of the Mesozoic eraType of archosaur, archosaurianKinds diplodocus, argentinosaur, ornithischian, titanosaur, saurischian, non-avian dinosaur, ground-shaker, iguanodon
What does it mean? Question 1 of today’s quiz
Webster's Dictionary (1913)
Origin: Gr. … terrible + … lizard.
Paleontology One of the Dinosauria. [Written also deinosaur, and deinosaurian.]
Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913), from GCIDE 0.54
Free On-line Dictionary of Computing
1.Any hardware requiring raised flooring and special power. Used especially of old minicomputers and mainframes, in contrast with newer microprocessor-based machines.
In a famous quote from the 1988 Unix EXPO, Bill Joy compared the liquid-cooled mainframe in the massive IBM display with a grazing dinosaur "with a truck outside pumping its bodily fluids through it". IBM was not amused.
Compare big iron; see also dinosaurs mating.
2.[IBM] A very conservative user; a zipperhead. [Jargon File]
The Jargon File
1.Any hardware requiring raised flooring and special power. Used especially of old minis and mainframes, in contrast with newer microprocessor-based machines. In a famous quote from the 1998 Unix EXPO, Bill Joy compared the liquid-cooled mainframe in the massive IBM display with a grazing dinosaur “with a truck outside pumping its bodily fluids through it”. IBM was not amused. Compare big iron; see also mainframe.
2.[IBM] A very conservative user; a zipperhead.