Main Entry:

ptero·dac·tyl

Pronunciation:

\ˌter-ə-ˈdak-t^əl\

Function:

noun

Etymology:

New Latin Pterodactylus, genus of reptiles, from Greek pteron wing + daktylos finger — more at feather

Date:

1830

: any of various pterosaurs (suborder Pterodactyloidea) of the Late Jurassic and Cretaceous having a rudimentary tail and a beak with reduced dentition ; broadly : pterosaur