# What does the word "raptor" mean to you? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [December 3, 2010, 11:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-the-word-raptor-mean-to-you/562880 "2010-12-03T23:47:08Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Mangetout](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mangetout/32/19_2.png) [@Mangetout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangetout)\ **Post date:** [December 4, 2010, 10:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-the-word-raptor-mean-to-you/562880/21 "2010-12-04T10:26:49Z")
Devoid of context, I would primarily associate it with birds of prey. But the intent of the speaker might make it clear he/she is talking about velocraptors (of real, or Spielberg type), or some kind of military vehicle. The Latin meaning ‘robber/thief’ usually crosses my mind, in any context. ---
**Author:** ![Sr\_Siete](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/6de8d8/32.png) [@Sr\_Siete](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sr_Siete)\ **Post date:** [December 4, 2010, 10:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-the-word-raptor-mean-to-you/562880/22 "2010-12-04T10:54:44Z")
It’s “kidnapper” isn’t it? That’s what the dinosaur name meant, he stole other dinos’ eggs. ---
**Author:** ![Justin\_Bailey](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/justin_bailey/32/8792_2.png) [@Justin\_Bailey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Justin_Bailey)\ **Post date:** [December 4, 2010, 2:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-the-word-raptor-mean-to-you/562880/23 "2010-12-04T14:29:26Z")
> [@scifisam2009](#): > > Or velociraptor. In Jurassic Park the raptor weren’t dinosaur-like creatures, they were raptors - why’s that listed separately? Because the “raptors” in Jurassic Park don’t match up with how velociraptors looked in real life. Even still, I would have made them the same option because who really cares that a movie about bringing dinosaurs back to life in 1993 wasn’t completely scientifically accurate? ---
**Author:** ![Cheez\_Whia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/d26b3c/32.png) [@Cheez\_Whia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cheez_Whia)\ **Post date:** [December 4, 2010, 6:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-the-word-raptor-mean-to-you/562880/24 "2010-12-04T18:00:38Z")
Yes; according to [this](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Utah_raptor), they should have been rendered with feathers. I voted for the correct definition, but if I see an eagle or hawk, I don’t think “There’s a raptor!”. When I hear the word “raptor”, I’m more likely to think of velociraptors. I live in western Colorado very close to the Utah border which is dinosaur fossil country. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Knorf](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/58956e/32.png) [@Knorf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Knorf)\ **Post date:** [December 4, 2010, 6:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-the-word-raptor-mean-to-you/562880/25 "2010-12-04T18:42:16Z")
> [@scifisam2009](#): > > Eminem, rapper turned actor. > > Or velociraptor. In Jurassic Park the raptor weren’t dinosaur-like creatures, they were raptors - why’s that listed separately? The Jurassic Park monsters have little resemblance to any actual dinosaurs. Velociraptors, for example, were at most 2 feet tall and had feathers. ---
**Author:** ![Kamino\_Neko](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kamino_neko/32/34_2.png) [@Kamino\_Neko](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kamino_Neko)\ **Post date:** [December 4, 2010, 7:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-the-word-raptor-mean-to-you/562880/26 "2010-12-04T19:09:00Z")
In rapid succession - Velociraptor-\>bird of prey-\>NBA team. Jurassic Park doesn’t come to mind unless I actually take a moment and think about how ‘raptor’ ended up as a common name for Velociraptor. ---
**Author:** ![OpalCat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/8edcca/32.png) [@OpalCat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/OpalCat)\ **Post date:** [December 4, 2010, 7:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-the-word-raptor-mean-to-you/562880/27 "2010-12-04T19:15:06Z")
I would only ever use the word to mean velociraptor, personally. I know it means bird of prey but I’d just say “bird of prey” instead, I wouldn’t ever refer to them as “raptors” in my own words. ---
**Author:** ![Cheez\_Whia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/d26b3c/32.png) [@Cheez\_Whia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cheez_Whia)\ **Post date:** [December 4, 2010, 7:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-the-word-raptor-mean-to-you/562880/28 "2010-12-04T19:27:41Z")
> [@Knorf](#): > > The Jurassic Park monsters have little resemblance to any actual dinosaurs. Velociraptors, for example, were at most 2 feet tall and had feathers. You may want to check the link in my previous post. Utahraptor is quite large. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Kamino\_Neko](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kamino_neko/32/34_2.png) [@Kamino\_Neko](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kamino_Neko)\ **Post date:** [December 4, 2010, 7:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-the-word-raptor-mean-to-you/562880/29 "2010-12-04T19:33:00Z")
> [@Knorf](#): > > The Jurassic Park monsters have little resemblance to any actual dinosaurs. Velociraptors, for example, were at most 2 feet tall and had feathers. That the Raptor family were feathered wasn’t known at the time, so that can’t be held against them. Ignoring that aspect, however, it’s not right to say they don’t resemble actual dinosaurs. They’re quite in line with the larger members of the family - I’d have to see the movie again, but, from what I remember, they seem quite in line with Deinonychus, which a quick search tells me the ones in JP were based on. (Utahraptor, I think, may be too big - the raptors, IIRC, were a tad shorter than the kids, which is about right for Deinonychus, whereas Utahraptor would be about as tall as the adults.) They don’t resemble actual Velociraptors, but they do resemble real dinos of related geni. (And, checking, apparently at least one scientist considered Deinonychus to be a species of Velociraptor, rather than a separate genus when Crichton wrote the book, so the mistake is neither his nor Speilberg’s. The fact that the raptor fossils are found in the US also goes with the Deinonychus, not Velociraptor.) ---
**Author:** ![KneadToKnow](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kneadtoknow/32/3999_2.png) [@KneadToKnow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KneadToKnow)\ **Post date:** [December 4, 2010, 8:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-the-word-raptor-mean-to-you/562880/30 "2010-12-04T20:00:12Z")
It may be cheating for me to think “bird of prey,” what with [these folks](http://www.carolinaraptorcenter.org/) right up the street. ---
**Author:** ![Evil\_Captor](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/f17d59/32.png) [@Evil\_Captor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Evil_Captor)\ **Post date:** [December 4, 2010, 8:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-the-word-raptor-mean-to-you/562880/31 "2010-12-04T20:17:11Z")
Well I guess it means mostly the dinosaur, which brings up a pic of the Jurassic Park monster in my mind, but the “bird of prey” usage is familiar to me too. I think I would almost always come up with the right ID based on context instantly if one of these two meanings were intended. The other “raptors” … not so much. ---
**Author:** ![Swords\_to\_Plowshares](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b38774/32.png) [@Swords\_to\_Plowshares](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Swords_to_Plowshares)\ **Post date:** [December 4, 2010, 8:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-the-word-raptor-mean-to-you/562880/32 "2010-12-04T20:35:35Z")
If I see or hear the word, I use context clues to figure out what usage it is. Dinosaur comes to mind first, because of growing up with dinosaur toys, Jurassic Park, and xkcd comics. Raptor-type birds are usually referred to by name anyways. (ex. “that’s an osprey.”) ---
**Author:** ![Knorf](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/58956e/32.png) [@Knorf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Knorf)\ **Post date:** [December 4, 2010, 9:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-the-word-raptor-mean-to-you/562880/33 "2010-12-04T21:26:10Z")
> [@Tengu](#): > > Ignoring that aspect, however, it’s not right to say they don’t resemble actual dinosaurs. They’re quite in line with the larger members of the family - I’d have to see the movie again, but, from what I remember, they seem quite in line with Deinonychus, which a quick search tells me the ones in JP were based on. (Utahraptor, I think, may be too big - the raptors, IIRC, were a tad shorter than the kids, which is about right for Deinonychus, whereas Utahraptor would be about as tall as the adults.) They don’t resemble actual Velociraptors, but they do resemble real dinos of related geni. (And, checking, apparently at least one scientist considered Deinonychus to be a species of Velociraptor, rather than a separate genus when Crichton wrote the book, so the mistake is neither his nor Speilberg’s. The fact that the raptor fossils are found in the US also goes with the Deinonychus, not Velociraptor.) I stand by my “dinosaur-like” option in the poll choices. ---
**Author:** ![Peeta\_Mellark](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/bc8723/32.png) [@Peeta\_Mellark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Peeta_Mellark)\ **Post date:** [December 4, 2010, 11:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-the-word-raptor-mean-to-you/562880/34 "2010-12-04T23:16:24Z")
“Bird of prey”, and then velociraptors and then Jurassic Park. ---
**Author:** ![Malleus\_Incus\_Stapes](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/malleus_incus_stapes/32/3293_2.png) [@Malleus\_Incus\_Stapes](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Malleus_Incus_Stapes)\ **Post date:** [December 4, 2010, 11:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-the-word-raptor-mean-to-you/562880/35 "2010-12-04T23:54:45Z")
Either dinosaurs _or_ birds, depending on the context. ---
**Author:** ![SciFiSam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/47e85d/32.png) [@SciFiSam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SciFiSam)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2010, 12:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-the-word-raptor-mean-to-you/562880/36 "2010-12-05T00:26:16Z")
Weirdly, both the [OED](http://www.oed.com/view/Entry/158231?redirectedFrom=raptor#) and Merriam Webster (no link because it’s subscriber-only - not sure if the OED one is too) list the ‘bird of prey’ definition _after_ the ‘robber’ definition. The OED also has this definition - 4th, after bird of prey in third: b. A dromaeosaurid dinosaur. Collin’s do list bird of prey first, then dinosaur (via [dictionary.com),](http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/raptor) and the Science dictionary (also on the [dictionary.com](http://dictionary.com) page) lists bird of prey first but then: 1. ``` Any of various mostly small, slender, carnivorous dinosaurs of the Cretaceous Period. Raptors had hind legs that were adapted for leaping and large, curved claws used for grasping and tearing at prey. Raptors were probably related to birds, and some even had feathers. ``` ---
**Author:** ![Knorf](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/58956e/32.png) [@Knorf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Knorf)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2010, 12:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-the-word-raptor-mean-to-you/562880/37 "2010-12-05T00:56:07Z")
> **[Definition of RAPTOR](https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/raptor)** > > 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… See the full definition has “Bird of Prey” as the _first_ definition. ---
**Author:** ![Knorf](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/58956e/32.png) [@Knorf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Knorf)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2010, 1:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-the-word-raptor-mean-to-you/562880/38 "2010-12-05T01:01:57Z")
What I really dislike, is that a second-rate mass-market novel from 1990, a 1993 trashy popular movie (which was otherwise typical in its flagrant disregard for science and reality), and a 21st century ludicrously popular MMORPG are the primary reasons why “raptor” has lapsed into sounding “archaic” to some when used to refer to birds of prey. But I am pleased to note that, in this SDMB poll, “bird of prey” is by far the most popular result. ---
**Author:** ![SciFiSam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/47e85d/32.png) [@SciFiSam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SciFiSam)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2010, 1:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-the-word-raptor-mean-to-you/562880/39 "2010-12-05T01:08:55Z")
> [@Knorf](#): > > [RAPTOR Definition & Meaning - Merriam-Webster](http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/raptor) > > has “Bird of Prey” as the _first_ definition. That is REALLY weird - that’s a different result to [the one I get on the unabridged MW.](http://unabridged.merriam-webster.com/cgi-bin/unabridged?va=raptor&x=0&y=0) I think there must be dialectical differences too - I’ve never in my life heard anyone use ‘raptor’ to refer to birds of prey in general. ---
**Author:** ![Knorf](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/58956e/32.png) [@Knorf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Knorf)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2010, 1:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-the-word-raptor-mean-to-you/562880/40 "2010-12-05T01:12:19Z")
Before 1990 we would not have been having this discussion at all; everyone would have thought “raptor” primarily referred to a bird of prey (or simply not thought anything at all about it.) The question in my mind, is whether popular culture has permanently changed that, or not. At least on the SDMB, apparently not. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-the-word-raptor-mean-to-you/562880.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-the-word-raptor-mean-to-you/562880.md?page=3)