pterodactyl
American Heritage Dictionary:
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pter·o·dac·tyl
(tĕr'ə-dăk'təl) 
n.
Any of various small, mostly tailless, extinct flying reptiles of the order Pterosauria that existed during the Jurassic and Cretaceous periods.
pterodactylous pter'o·dac'ty·lous adj.
n.
Any of various small, mostly tailless, extinct flying reptiles of the order Pterosauria that existed during the Jurassic and Cretaceous periods.
[New Latin Pterodactylus, genus name : Greek pteron, feather, wing; see -pter + Greek daktulos, finger.]
pterodactyloid pter'o·dac'ty·loid' adj.pterodactylous pter'o·dac'ty·lous adj.
Britannica Concise Encyclopedia:
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pterodactyl
Any member of the pterosaur suborder Pterodactyloidea, known from Late Jurassic and Cretaceous fossils (15965 million years ago) in eastern Africa and Europe. Members of the typical genus, Pterodactylus, ranged from the size of a sparrow to that of an albatross. Pterodactyls had slender, delicate teeth that were angled forward (possibly for use as straining devices), long metacarpal bones, and a short tail. They were probably able gliders but not efficient as active fliers, and they apparently lacked feathers. Unlike the archaeopteryx, the pterodactyl was not an ancestor of the birds.
For more information on pterodactyl, visit Britannica.com.
Random House Word Menu:
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categories related to 'pterodactyl'
Translations:
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Pterodactyl
Nederlands (Dutch)
pterodactylus (bepaald uitgestorven vliegend reptiel)
Français (French)
n. - ptérodactyle
Deutsch (German)
n. - Pterodaktylus, Flugfinger
Ελληνική (Greek)
n. - (ζωολ.) πτεροδάκτυλος
Italiano (Italian)
pterodattilo
Português (Portuguese)
n. - pterodáctilo (m)
Русский (Russian)
птеродактиль
Español (Spanish)
n. - pterodáctilo
Svenska (Swedish)
n. - flygödla (zool.)
中文（简体）(Chinese (Simplified))
翼龙
中文（繁體）(Chinese (Traditional))
n. - 翼手龍
العربيه (Arabic)
(الاسم) حيوان طائر منقرض
עברית (Hebrew)
n. - פטרודקטיל - זוחל מעופף קדום ממשפחת הפטרוסאורים
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American Heritage Dictionary
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition Copyright © 2007, 2000 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Updated in 2009. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
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Britannica Concise Encyclopedia. © 1994-2012 Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc. All rights reserved. Read more
Columbia Encyclopedia
The Columbia Electronic Encyclopedia, Sixth Edition Copyright © 2012, Columbia University Press. Licensed from Columbia University Press. All rights reserved. www.cc.columbia.edu/cu/cup/.
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(1995 Album by Phase 111 & Klass A)
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