pterodactyl
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.
pterodactyls
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pluralof pterodactyl.plural
The grammatical form denoting more than one person, place, thing, or idea.
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.
Pterosaurs, more commonly called pterodactyls, were the first animals with bones to start flying, more than 200 million years ago, long before birds and bats took to the skies.
From BBC ● Oct. 5, 2022
Also in 2021, scientists cracked the mystery of how pterodactyls were able to swoop down and scoop up large prey without breaking their necks.
From Salon ● Apr. 26, 2022
On the train from Paris to Arbois, it’s easy to imagine Tyrannosaurus rex and pterodactyls in place of cows and sheep.
From Washington Post ● Mar. 18, 2022
His pterodactyls and his dinosaurs and even his missing links are, indeed, rather more real and convincing than his two scientists, who are portrayed with broad and humorous caricature.
From New York Times ● Oct. 21, 2021
She could make out tiny little microdactyls, medium-sized minidactyls, and then the fully grown pterodactyls, all sailing back and forth, snapping at each other or whatever prey they could find, dancing across the darkness.
From "Dactyl Hill Squad" by Daniel José Older
