pteranodon

[tuh-ran-uh-don]

noun

1. a flying reptile of the extinct order Pterosauria, from the Cretaceous Period, having a wingspread of about 25 feet (8 meters).

pteranodon

1. Any of several very large, extinct flying reptiles (pterosaurs) of the genus Pteranodon of the Cretaceous Period. Pteranodon had a long pointed crest on its head, no teeth, a very short tail, and a wingspan upwards of 9 m (30 ft).

Word History and Origins

Origin of pteranodon¹

< New Latin, equivalent to pter- pter- + Greek anódōn toothless ( an- ¹, -odont )

Example Sentences

A short preview of the experience was Disneyfied fun: immersion in a landscape whose inhabitants included giant dragonflies, a Pteranodon, a group of long-necked Astrodon and agile hadrosaurs.

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The pteranodon specimen, nicknamed Horus after the falcon-headed Egyptian god, was discovered in 2002 in Kansas in what was once an inland sea that divided the continent of North America during the Cretaceous Period, Sotheby’s said.

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One of the largest winged creatures that ever lived, the pteranodon flew over water and used its long beak to fish for prey.

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Sotheby’s is estimating that the pteranodon will sell for $4 million to $6 million.

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Suddenly, another “flying reptile” from the dinosaur books appeared in the sky: a giant Pteranodon with a thirty-foot wingspan.

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