archaeopteryx

[ ahr-kee-op-tuh-riks ]

/ ˌɑr kiˈɒp tə rɪks /

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noun

a reptilelike fossil bird of the genus Archaeopteryx, from the late Jurassic Period, having teeth and a long, feathered, vertebrate tail.

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Origin of archaeopteryx

1855–60; <New Latin <Greek archaio-archaeo- + ptéryx wing

Words nearby archaeopteryx

archaeology, archaeomagnetism, archaeomagnetism dating, archaeometry, archaeon , archaeopteryx, archaeornis, Archaeozoic, archaezoology, archaic, archaic Homo

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2021

How to use archaeopteryx in a sentence

The only form referred to this subclass of extinct birds is Archaeopteryx, the earliest known bird.
The Vertebrate Skeleton|Sidney H. Reynolds
The Ratitae differ from Archaeopteryx and the great majority of Carinatae in being flightless.
The Vertebrate Skeleton|Sidney H. Reynolds
In Archaeopteryx however but five vertebrae take part in the formation of the sacrum.
The Vertebrate Skeleton|Sidney H. Reynolds
In the wing of nearly all birds the ulna is thicker than the radius, but in Archaeopteryx the two bones are equal in size.
The Vertebrate Skeleton|Sidney H. Reynolds

In Archaeopteryx all three bones of the pelvis are distinct, but they are imperfectly known.
The Vertebrate Skeleton|Sidney H. Reynolds

British Dictionary definitions for archaeopteryx

archaeopteryx

/ (ˌɑːkɪˈɒptərɪks) /

noun

any of several extinct primitive birds constituting the genus Archaeopteryx, esp A. lithographica, which occurred in Jurassic times and had teeth, a long tail, well-developed wings, and a body covering of feathers

Word Origin for archaeopteryx

C19: from archaeo- + Greek pterux winged creature

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

Scientific definitions for archaeopteryx

archaeopteryx

[ är′kē-ŏp′tər-ĭks ]

An extinct primitive bird of the genus Archaeopteryx of the Jurassic Period, having characteristics of both birds and dinosaurs. Like dinosaurs, it had a long, bony tail, claws at the end of its fingers, and teeth. Like birds it had wings and feathers. Many scientists regard it as evidence that birds evolved from small carnivorous dinosaurs. See Note at bird.