According to a reporter for The New Paper, the "dinosaur" in the beverage's name on its own means "[a] heap of Milo or Horlicks powder on the iced drink".

[1] In Thailand, drinks with such preparation are titled with a suffix of phukhao fai (Thai: ภูเขาไฟ, lit. 'volcano').

Initially, Milo was marketed in British Malaya from the mid-1930s as a convenient ‘fortified tonic food’ for middle-class individuals.

[3] Typically sold at Mamak stalls,[12] Milo dinosaur can be accompanied with roti prata.

[18] According to one Taiwan-based beverage store offering the drink, it is a "super popular" crowd-pleaser for the younger generation.