pterodactyl

C2 Topic:Animals
US /ˌtɛɹəˈdæktl̩/
noun Freq #29470

Meanings

  1. 1
    noun

    Any pterosaur.

    He described also the iguanodon and the pterodactyl - two of the first of the wonders which they had encountered.

  2. 2
    noun

    extinct flying reptile

  3. 3
    noun

    A pterosaur of the genus Pterodactylus.

Thesaurus

Word family
Derived forms pterodactylanepterodactyloid
Related forms dactylo-dactylypolydactylypterodactylicsyndactyly

Etymology

From French ptérodactyle, a term coined by Cuvier from Ancient Greek πτερόν (pterón, “wing”) + δάκτυλος (dáktulos, “finger”). By surface analysis, ptero- + -dactyl.

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