1
: a carnivorous medium- to large-sized bird (such as a hawk, eagle, owl, or vulture) that has a hooked beak and large sharp talons and that feeds wholly or chiefly on meat taken by hunting or on carrion : bird of prey
2
: a usually small-to-medium-sized predatory dinosaur (such as a velociraptor or deinonychus)
Examples of raptor in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
The raptor, along with other select dinosaurs, may have evolved to be warm-blooded 180 million years ago, according to research published in the journal Current Biology on May 15, 2024.
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CBS News, 15 May 2024
Many of the specimens seem ripe for producing new discoveries: Two unique dinosaur fossils, thought to be small raptors, were previously unstudied in scientific literature, and two pterosaur skulls are expected to represent new species.
—Christian Thorsberg, Smithsonian Magazine, 13 May 2024
Mont Rochelle has installed Raptor Poles in and around the property, allowing raptors — environmentally beneficial birds of prey — to roost in these artificial perches.
—Hannah Selinger, Travel + Leisure, 10 May 2024
Fans of two-tone style will appreciate the model’s Bernina Gray dial, a tribute to the color of the Alpine landscape, home to the majestic raptors that lend the collection their name.
—Victoria Gomelsky, Robb Report, 22 Apr. 2024
Falconry is believed to have begun in Central Asia and the Iranian Plateau in the Bronze Age, when people learned to harness raptors’ natural instincts to hunt small game.
—Michael Charboneau, Los Angeles Times, 22 Feb. 2024
The onlookers just watched the raptor try to pick off a duckling and run afoul of the mother duck.
—Natalie Krebs, Outdoor Life, 28 Feb. 2024
At just a few ounces and less than a foot tall, with long legs and big yellow eyes, these pint-sized raptors are one of the smallest owl species in the nation.
—Emily Alvarenga, San Diego Union-Tribune, 21 Feb. 2024
Each year, the park holds a Bald Eagle Festival in early February complete with live raptors along with nest building and other activities.
—Mindy Sink, The Denver Post, 7 Feb. 2024
CBS News, 15 May 2024
Many of the specimens seem ripe for producing new discoveries: Two unique dinosaur fossils, thought to be small raptors, were previously unstudied in scientific literature, and two pterosaur skulls are expected to represent new species.
—Christian Thorsberg, Smithsonian Magazine, 13 May 2024
Mont Rochelle has installed Raptor Poles in and around the property, allowing raptors — environmentally beneficial birds of prey — to roost in these artificial perches.
—Hannah Selinger, Travel + Leisure, 10 May 2024
Fans of two-tone style will appreciate the model’s Bernina Gray dial, a tribute to the color of the Alpine landscape, home to the majestic raptors that lend the collection their name.
—Victoria Gomelsky, Robb Report, 22 Apr. 2024
Falconry is believed to have begun in Central Asia and the Iranian Plateau in the Bronze Age, when people learned to harness raptors’ natural instincts to hunt small game.
—Michael Charboneau, Los Angeles Times, 22 Feb. 2024
The onlookers just watched the raptor try to pick off a duckling and run afoul of the mother duck.
—Natalie Krebs, Outdoor Life, 28 Feb. 2024
At just a few ounces and less than a foot tall, with long legs and big yellow eyes, these pint-sized raptors are one of the smallest owl species in the nation.
—Emily Alvarenga, San Diego Union-Tribune, 21 Feb. 2024
Each year, the park holds a Bald Eagle Festival in early February complete with live raptors along with nest building and other activities.
—Mindy Sink, The Denver Post, 7 Feb. 2024
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'raptor.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
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Cite this Entry
“Raptor.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/raptor. Accessed 20 May. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
raptor
noun
rap·tor
ˈrap-tər 
Etymology
Latin raptor "plunderer," from rapere "to seize"
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