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• Aepyornis
  Aepyornis

  noun

  an extinct genus of ratite birds, best known from the Pleistocene Epoch of Madagascar, having massive legs and rudimentary wings, and growing to a height of 8 feet (2.4 meters).
• aepyornis
  aepyornis

  noun

  any of the large extinct flightless birds of the genus Aepyornis, remains of which have been found in Madagascar

Aepyornis

American  

[ee-pee-awr-nis] / ˌi piˈɔr nɪs /

noun

1. an extinct genus of ratite birds, best known from the Pleistocene Epoch of Madagascar, having massive legs and rudimentary wings, and growing to a height of 8 feet (2.4 meters).

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aepyornis British  

/ ˌiːpɪˈɔːnɪs /

noun

1. any of the large extinct flightless birds of the genus Aepyornis, remains of which have been found in Madagascar

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Etymology

Origin of Aepyornis

< New Latin (1850) < Greek aipý ( s ) steep, lofty, + órnīs bird

Example Sentences

Just a few thousand years ago, gargantuan fauna roamed the planet, from the gorilla-sized sloth lemur Archaeoindris fontoynontii to the elephant bird Aepyornis maximus.

From Nature • Dec. 11, 2018

They still tell of a great bird, called Aepyornis by paleontologists, which used to roam the island until a few thousand years ago.

From Time Magazine Archive

Aepyornis was ten feet tall, could not fly, laid eggs bigger than footballs.

From Time Magazine Archive

From the innermost box Mr. Ray removed the Aepyornis titan egg�intact.

From Time Magazine Archive

Aepyornis vastus," said I. "It's funny, the very thing was mentioned to me by a friend of mine.

From The Stolen Bacillus and Other Incidents by Wells, H. G. (Herbert George)