apterium

[ap-teer-ee-uh m]

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.

Compare pteryla.

Origin of apterium

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

Related formsap·te·ri·al, adjective

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019