pterodactyl
[ ter-uh-dak-til ]
/ ˌtɛr əˈdæk tɪl /
|
noun
any of a number of genera of flying reptiles of the extinct order Pterosauria, from the Jurassic and Cretaceous periods, having a highly reduced tail and teeth and a birdlike beak.
Nearby words
pteridophyte, pteridosperm, pterion, ptero-, pterocarpous, pterodactyl, pteroma, pteron, pteropod, pteropodium, pteropterin
Origin of pterodactyl
1820–30; < New Latin Pterodactylus genus name, equivalent to Greek pteró(n) wing + -daktylos -dactylous
Related forms
pter·o·dac·tyl·ic, pter·o·dac·tyl·ous, adjectivepter·o·dac·tyl·id, adjective, nounpter·o·dac·tyl·oid, adjectiveDictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019
Examples from the Web for pterodactyl
British Dictionary definitions for pterodactyl
pterodactyl
/ (ˌtɛrəˈdæktɪl) /
noun
any extinct flying reptile of the genus Pterodactylus and related genera, having membranous wings supported on an elongated fourth digitSee also pterosaur
Word Origin for pterodactyl
C19: from ptero- + Greek daktulos finger
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition
© William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
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Science definitions for pterodactyl
pterodactyl
[ tĕr′ə-dăk′təl ]
Any of various small, extinct flying reptiles (pterosaurs) of the genus Pterodactylus of the late Jurassic and Cretaceous Periods. Pterodactyls had long, narrow jaws with sharp teeth, and a wingspan of 1 m (3.3 ft) or less.
The American Heritage® Science Dictionary
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