pteranodon

American  

[tuh-ran-uh-don] / təˈræn əˌdɒn /

noun

1. a flying reptile of the extinct order Pterosauria, from the Cretaceous Period, having a wingspread of about 25 feet (8 meters).

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pteranodon Scientific  

/ tə-răn′ə-dŏn′ /

1. Any of several very large, extinct flying reptiles (pterosaurs) of the genus Pteranodon of the Cretaceous Period. Pteranodon had a long pointed crest on its head, no teeth, a very short tail, and a wingspan upwards of 9 m (30 ft).

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Etymology

Origin of pteranodon

< New Latin, equivalent to pter- pter- + Greek anódōn toothless ( an- ¹, -odont )

Example Sentences

A short preview of the experience was Disneyfied fun: immersion in a landscape whose inhabitants included giant dragonflies, a Pteranodon, a group of long-necked Astrodon and agile hadrosaurs.

From The Wall Street Journal

One of the largest winged creatures that ever lived, the pteranodon flew over water and used its long beak to fish for prey.

From Seattle Times

The pteranodon specimen, nicknamed Horus after the falcon-headed Egyptian god, was discovered in 2002 in Kansas in what was once an inland sea that divided the continent of North America during the Cretaceous Period, Sotheby’s said.

From Seattle Times

Sotheby’s is estimating that the pteranodon will sell for $4 million to $6 million.

From Seattle Times

Suddenly, another “flying reptile” from the dinosaur books appeared in the sky: a giant Pteranodon with a thirty-foot wingspan.

From Literature