archaeopteryx
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ar·chae·op·ter·yx
(är′kē-ŏp′tər-ĭks)n.
A small extinct vertebrate of the genus Archaeopteryx of the Jurassic Period, having feathered wings with claws and a long toothed snout. It has been classified variously as a prehistoric bird and as a theropod dinosaur.
[New Latin Archaeopteryx, genus name : archaeo- + Greek pterux, wing; see pet- in Indo-European roots.]
American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright © 2016 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
archaeopteryx
(ˌɑːkɪˈɒptərɪks)n
1. (Animals) any of several extinct primitive birds constituting the genus Archaeopteryx, esp A. lithographica, which occurred in Jurassic times and had teeth, a long tail, well-developed wings, and a body covering of feathers
2. (Palaeontology) any of several extinct primitive birds constituting the genus Archaeopteryx, esp A. lithographica, which occurred in Jurassic times and had teeth, a long tail, well-developed wings, and a body covering of feathers
[C19: from archaeo- + Greek pterux winged creature]
Collins English Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged, 12th Edition 2014 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1994, 1998, 2000, 2003, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2014
ar•chae•op•ter•yx
(ˌɑr kiˈɒp tə rɪks)n.
a reptilelike feathered fossil bird of the genus Archaeopteryx, from the late Jurassic Period, having teeth and a long tail.
[1855–60; < New Latin < Greek archaio- archaeo- + ptéryx wing]
Random House Kernerman Webster's College Dictionary, © 2010 K Dictionaries Ltd. Copyright 2005, 1997, 1991 by Random House, Inc. All rights reserved.
ar·chae·op·ter·yx
(är′kē-ŏp′tər-ĭks) An extinct primitive bird of the Jurassic Period, having characteristics of both birds and dinosaurs. Like dinosaurs, it had a long, bony tail, claws at the end of its fingers, and teeth. Like birds it had wings and feathers. Many scientists regard it as evidence that birds evolved from small meat-eating dinosaurs. See Note at bird.
The American Heritage® Student Science Dictionary, Second Edition. Copyright © 2014 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
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| Noun | 1. |  archaeopteryx - extinct primitive toothed bird of the Jurassic period having a long feathered tail and hollow bones; usually considered the most primitive of all birdsbird - warm-blooded egg-laying vertebrates characterized by feathers and forelimbs modified as wings genus Archaeopteryx, genus Archeopteryx - a genus of fossil birds |
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