Aepyornis

[ ee-pee-awr-nis ]

/ ˌi piˈɔr nɪs /

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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).

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Origin of Aepyornis

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

Words nearby Aepyornis

Aeolis, aeolotropic, Aeolus, aeon, aeonian, Aepyornis, aeq., aequo animo, aequorin, aer-, aerarian

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use Aepyornis in a sentence

Lastly must be noted the extinct tall Ratite species of Aepyornis with its several fancy genera.
Encyclopaedia Britannica, 11th Edition, Volume 3, Slice 7|Various
Birds of medium size, not having the heavy and massive build of Aepyornis.
Extinct Birds|Walter Rothschild

British Dictionary definitions for Aepyornis

aepyornis

/ (ˌiːpɪˈɔːnɪs) /

noun

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

Word Origin for aepyornis

C19: New Latin, from Greek aipus high + ornis bird

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012