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

Scholars suspect that Aepyornis titan may have given rise to the legend of a great bird called the roc, which is told in the Arabian Nights.

From Time Magazine Archive

About 25 football-sized Aepyornis titan eggs exist in various museums.

From Time Magazine Archive

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

From Time Magazine Archive

The egg was a perfect specimen of that rara avis in terris, the gigantic Aepyornis Maximus of Madagascar.

From Punch,or The London Charivari, Volume 105, July 22nd, 1893 by Various