apterium

[ ap-teer-ee-uhm ]

noun

, Ornithology.

, plural ap·te·ri·a [ap-, teer, -ee-, uh].

1. one of the featherless portions of the skin of a bird.

Other Words From

• ap·teri·al adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of apterium¹

From New Latin, dating back to 1865–70; a- ⁶, pter-, -ium

Example Sentences

But, the male loses most of the down feathers of the ventral apterium.

From Project Gutenberg