Showing results for pterodactyl. Search instead for pterodactyloid.

pterodactyl

American

[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.

pterodactyl British

/ ˌtɛrəˈdæktɪl /

noun

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

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

pterodactyl Scientific

/ 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.

Other Word 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

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

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

Refocusing his anger in fashioning the pterodactyl was a therapeutic process of transference through which he allows the sculpture to own the anger instead of the anger owning him.

From Seattle Times • Jul. 14, 2023

That’s when Ausubel’s story really takes flight, with all the improbable buoyancy of a pterodactyl.

From Washington Post • Apr. 11, 2023

A pterodactyl with some especially weird teeth was recently discovered in Southern Germany, shedding new light on the behaviors and diet of these ancient flying reptiles.

From Salon • Feb. 4, 2023

I made a noise somewhere between an indignant choke and a pterodactyl scream.

From "Bye Forever, I Guess" by Jodi Meadows

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023