pterodactyl

American  

[ter-uh-dak-til] / ˌtɛr əˈdæk tɪl /

noun

1. 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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pterodactyl British  

/ ˌtɛrəˈdæktɪl /

noun

1. any extinct flying reptile of the genus Pterodactylus and related genera, having membranous wings supported on an elongated fourth digit See also pterosaur

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pterodactyl Scientific  

/ tĕr′ə-dăk′təl /

1. 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.

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Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• pterodactylic
  adjective
• pterodactylid
  adjective
• pterodactyloid
  adjective
• pterodactylous
  adjective

Etymology

Origin of pterodactyl

1820–30; < New Latin Pterodactylus genus name, equivalent to Greek pteró ( n ) wing + -daktylos -dactylous

Compare meaning

How does pterodactyl compare to similar and commonly confused words? Explore the most common comparisons:

• pterosaur vs. pterodactyl

Explanation

Pretend that you are living during the Cretaceous period. Then look up at the sky. That fierce winged creature swooping down on you is a pterodactyl, a flying reptile. The word pterodactyl, pronounced "tear-uh-DACK-til," refers to a now-extinct group of winged reptiles known as pterosaurs. The word comes from the Latin Pterodactylus, the creatures' genus name, which originated in the Greek pteron, meaning “wing,” and daktulos, meaning “finger.” Although technically not a dinosaur, this flying reptile thrived during the same time period is as often seen among dinosaurs in movies.

Example Sentences

Steven Waters set the men's record last year, completing the London event in four hours, 15 minutes and two seconds while wearing an inflatable pterodactyl costume.

From BBC • Apr. 19, 2024

This pterodactyl sculpture mailbox is representative of art as healing modality and posits the pterodactyl as alternative to the rising phoenix — like, when a phoenix isn’t nearly gnarly enough to symbolize hardships overcome.

From Seattle Times • Jul. 14, 2023

In June and early July, the rookery would typically resemble a nursery overrun with featherless black-skinned newborns with pterodactyl features or weeks-old hatchlings with heart-shaped brown patches on their backs.

From Washington Post • Jul. 1, 2022

CJ even established the laughable code word "pterodactyl" as a cry for immediate help from her two dating colleagues.

From Salon • Aug. 3, 2021

Autumn stares at a pterodactyl flying over us.

From "Kwame Crashes the Underworld" by Craig Kofi Farmer