pteryla

American  

[ter-uh-luh] / ˈtɛr ə lə /

noun

Ornithology.

pterylae plural

1. one of the feathered areas on the skin of a bird.

---

pteryla British  

/ ˈtɛrɪlə /

noun

1. ornithol any of the tracts of skin that bear contour feathers, arranged in lines along the body of a bird

---

Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• pterylae
  plural

Etymology

Origin of pteryla

1865–70; < New Latin < Greek pter ( ón ) feather + hȳ́lē woods

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

pterylae

The feathers of birds are not uniformly distributed over the body, but grow only along certain definite tracts known as pterylae, leaving bare spaces or apteria.

From Encyclopaedia Britannica, 11th Edition, Volume 10, Slice 2 "Fairbanks, Erastus" to "Fens" by Various

These pterylae differ considerably in their conformation in different groups of birds, and hence are of service in systematic ornithology.

From Encyclopaedia Britannica, 11th Edition, Volume 10, Slice 2 "Fairbanks, Erastus" to "Fens" by Various