pterodactyl
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.
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Origin of pterodactyl
1Other words from pterodactyl
- pter·o·dac·tyl·ic, pter·o·dac·tyl·ous, adjective
- pter·o·dac·tyl·id, adjective, noun
- pter·o·dac·tyl·oid, adjective
Words Nearby pterodactyl
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
How to use pterodactyl in a sentence
I ponder the selection (pterodactyl, triceratops, etc) before settling on a T-Rex.
At the bar, you can order $5 ptero-daiquiri shots—a sign advertises them with a cartoon pterodactyl and a “Rawwr!!!”
Before they could get any more bright ideas, I threw the switch and my plastic pterodactyl sailed in through the door.
The Repairman | Harry HarrisonYou can't say too much for the picturesqueness of the pterodactyl—he was the triumph of his period.
Mark Twain, A Biography, 1835-1910, Complete | Albert Bigelow PaineOver the waters flew another bird-like, fish-like, bat-like thing called the pterodactyl.
The Adventures of a Grain of Dust | Hallam Hawksworth
Twice in succession he refused a second help of pterodactyl at the tribal luncheon table.
He looks like an intoxicated pterodactyl,” said Mr. Lonergan, who had some knowledge of prehistoric animals,—“only hairier.
Philo Gubb Correspondence-School Detective | Ellis Parker Butler
British Dictionary definitions for pterodactyl
/ (ˌtɛrəˈdæktɪl) /
any extinct flying reptile of the genus Pterodactylus and related genera, having membranous wings supported on an elongated fourth digit: See also pterosaur
Origin of pterodactyl
1Collins 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 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 Copyright © 2011. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
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