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.
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Nearby words
- pteridophyte,
- pteridosperm,
- pterion,
- ptero-,
- pterocarpous,
- pteroma,
- pteron,
- pteropod,
- pteropodium,
- pteropterin
Origin of pterodactyl
1820–30; < New Latin Pterodactylus genus name, equivalent to Greek pteró(n) wing + -daktylos -dactylous
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Examples from the Web 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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pterodactyl
extinct flying reptile, 1830, from French ptérodactyle (1821), from Modern Latin genus name Pterodactylus, from Greek pteron "wing" (see ptero-) + daktylos "finger" (see dactyl).
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper
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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