metagnathous

[ muh-tag-nuh-thuh s ]
/ məˈtæg nə θəs /

adjective

Ornithology. having the tips of the mandibles crossed, as the crossbills.
Entomology. having biting mouthparts in the larval stage and sucking mouthparts in the adult stage.

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earnest
full seriousness, as of intention or purpose.
a feeling of dread, anxiety, or anguish.
urgent character; imperativeness; insistence; importunateness.
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Origin of metagnathous

First recorded in 1870–75; meta- + -gnathous

OTHER WORDS FROM metagnathous

me·tag·na·thism, noun

Words nearby metagnathous

metafemale, metafiction, metagalaxy, metage, metagenesis, metagnathous, metagonimus, metaherpetic keratitis, metal, metal detector, metal fume fever
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2020

British Dictionary definitions for metagnathous

metagnathous
/ (mɪˈtæɡnəθəs) /

adjective

(of the beaks of birds such as the crossbill) having crossed tips

Derived forms of metagnathous

metagnathism, noun

Word Origin for metagnathous

C19: from meta- + -gnathous
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