noun a term coined by cartoonist Gary Larson in a 1982 Far Side comic strip to refer to the distinctive arrangement of four to ten spikes on the tails of stegosaurid dinosaurs
In zoology, thagomizer can be used to describe any arrangement of spikes or spines on an animal's body that resembles the tail spikes of stegosaurids.
In pop culture, thagomizer has been adopted as a term to describe any similar arrangement of spikes or spines in fictional creatures or designs.
In paleontology, a thagomizer refers to the distinctive arrangement of four to ten spikes on the tails of stegosaurid dinosaurs, named by cartoonist Gary Larson in a Far Side comic.
The term 'thagomizer' may be used by writers in the fields of paleontology or natural history when discussing the unique arrangement of spikes on the tail of a Stegosaurus.
Paleontologists may use the term 'thagomizer' when describing the tail spikes of a Stegosaurus or when discussing defensive adaptations in dinosaurs.
Educators teaching about dinosaurs or prehistoric animals may use the term 'thagomizer' when explaining the anatomy and defensive capabilities of a Stegosaurus.