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hesperornis

American

[hes-puh-rawr-nis] / ˌhɛs pəˈrɔr nɪs /

noun

a toothed aquatic bird of the extinct genus Hesperornis, fossils of which are found in rocks of Cretaceous age in Kansas, having the rear legs modified for swimming and reaching a length of more than 4 feet (1.2 meters).

< New Latin (1872) < Greek Hésper ( os ) Hesperus + órnis bird

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