# What do you call a dinosaur with a huge vocabulary?

Source: https://silverapuzzles.com/riddles/what-do-you-call-a-dinosaur-with-a-huge-vocabulary

A dinosaur name joke. Dinosaur names end in -saurus, and one everyday word has the same ending and happens to be about words.

**Answer:** A thesaurus.

A thesaurus sounds like a dinosaur name and is full of words.

Hint: It is a book of synonyms.

## How to think about it

1. Dinosaur names like Stegosaurus and Brontosaurus end in “-saurus”, which means lizard.
2. A huge vocabulary suggests a book full of words, the kind writers keep next to the dictionary.
3. Which word-book ends in a sound like “-saurus”?
4. A thesaurus: the dinosaur that knows every synonym.

## Why “a thesaurus” is the answer

A thesaurus is a reference book of synonyms, and its name sounds like a dinosaur species because both come from Greek, with “saurus” meaning lizard in the dinosaur names. The pun matches a creature famous for size with a book famous for words. Bookish kids tend to get this one fast, and it is a favorite in classrooms for that reason.

## Common wrong answers

- **A dictionary-saurus.** Made-up names do not count; the riddle wants the real word that already sounds like a dinosaur.
- **A Tyrannosaurus rex.** A real dinosaur, but nothing about it relates to vocabulary.