apterium

[ ap-teer-ee-uhm ]

noun,plural ap·te·ri·a

[ap-teer-ee-uh]. /æpˈtɪər i ə/. Ornithology.

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

Origin of apterium

¹

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

Other words from apterium

ap·te·ri·al, adjective

Compare pteryla.

Words Nearby apterium

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

How to use apterium in a sentence

But, the male loses most of the down feathers of the ventral apterium.
Natural History of the Bell Vireo, Vireo bellii Audubon | Jon C. Barlow

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