machairodontadj.n.
/məˈkʌɪrədɒnt/, U.S. /məˈkaɪrəˌdɑnt/ Palaeontology.
A. adj.
Having long sabre-shaped upper canine teeth; sabre-toothed. Also: of or relating to the subfamily Machairodontinae, comprising fossil felids having such teeth.
ΘΚΠ
the world > animals > mammals > group Unguiculata or clawed mammal > family Felidae (feline) > [adjective] > of extinct types
machairodont1883
1883 Encycl. Brit. XV. 435/2 Many modifications of this commonly-called ‘machærodont’ type have been met with.
1883 Encycl. Brit. XV. 435/2 The sabre-toothed or machærodont dentition, the most specially carnivorous type of structure known.
1970 Nature 18 Apr. 223/2 A machairodont cranium with one side of the mandible intact.
1987 Jrnl. Paleontol. 61 1256 African machairodont specimens previously referred to three species of Megantereon are considered to represent a single species.
B. n.
A machairodont felid.
ΘΚΠ
the world > animals > mammals > group Unguiculata or clawed mammal > family Felidae (feline) > [noun] > extinct
Machairodus1836
sabre-toothed lion1849
machairodont1889
sabre-tooth1896
sabre-tooth cat1906
1889 H. A. Nicholson & R. Lydekker Man. Palæontol. (ed. 3) II. 1448 The extinct Machærodonts or Sabre-toothed Tigers.
1925 C. R. Eastman tr. K. A. von Zittel Text-bk. Palaeontol. III. 75 A possible derivation of both Felines and Machairodonts may be from Dinictis.
1976 Nature 5 Aug. 464/1 Large carnivores are represented by hyaenids,..by felids and a machairodont.
This entry has been updated (OED Third Edition, March 2000; most recently modified version published online March 2022).
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adj.n.1883