pterodactyl
noun
ptero·dac·tyl
ˌter-ə-ˈdak-tᵊl 
: any of various pterosaurs (suborder Pterodactyloidea) of the Late Jurassic and Cretaceous having a rudimentary tail and a beak with reduced dentition
broadly
: pterosaur
Examples of pterodactyl in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
There was also Pterri (a pterodactyl), Conky (a robot), Randy (a pugnacious red-headed marionette), and Globey (a globe).
—
Bruce Handy, The New Yorker, 1 Aug. 2023
Pee-wee’s neighborhood was a curious one, inhabited by Chairry, a talking chair; Pterri, a blue pterodactyl; and an ant farm that communicated by forming words.
—Emily Langer, Washington Post, 31 July 2023
Both silly and subversive and championing nonconformity, the Pee-wee universe was a trippy place, populated by things such as a talking armchair and a friendly pterodactyl.
—Andrew Dalton, Anchorage Daily News, 31 July 2023
Kleinow’s, a black velvet tunic, sported a pterodactyl on the front.
—David Browne, Rolling Stone, 20 July 2023
This is Primal, so the god rides a pterodactyl.
—Darren Franich, EW.com, 1 Oct. 2020
In another, a goofy worker for an unnamed rival chain tries to impress a customer by contorting a pizza box, origami-style, into the shape of a pterodactyl (underscoring its offering of just a pizza and a box, compared with Little Caesars’s two pizzas for one low price).
—New York Times, 24 Sep. 2021
In addition to his portrayal of Jambi, Paragon voiced the character of Pterri the pterodactyl and wrote and directed several episodes of the children's show, including Pee-wee's Playhouse Christmas Special - which earned Paragon an Emmy nomination for Best Writing in a Children's Special.
—Andrea Towers, EW.com, 18 June 2021
Coming down in energy from the recent Spring Break crowds, the sand and shore seem subdued, allowing for contemplation, a brown pelican silently gliding across the shallows in its pterodactyl style, and the random beach beauty taking selfies under the blushing cheeks of mother nature.
—Michael Alpiner, Forbes, 10 May 2021
Bruce Handy, The New Yorker, 1 Aug. 2023
Pee-wee’s neighborhood was a curious one, inhabited by Chairry, a talking chair; Pterri, a blue pterodactyl; and an ant farm that communicated by forming words.
—Emily Langer, Washington Post, 31 July 2023
Both silly and subversive and championing nonconformity, the Pee-wee universe was a trippy place, populated by things such as a talking armchair and a friendly pterodactyl.
—Andrew Dalton, Anchorage Daily News, 31 July 2023
Kleinow’s, a black velvet tunic, sported a pterodactyl on the front.
—David Browne, Rolling Stone, 20 July 2023
This is Primal, so the god rides a pterodactyl.
—Darren Franich, EW.com, 1 Oct. 2020
In another, a goofy worker for an unnamed rival chain tries to impress a customer by contorting a pizza box, origami-style, into the shape of a pterodactyl (underscoring its offering of just a pizza and a box, compared with Little Caesars’s two pizzas for one low price).
—New York Times, 24 Sep. 2021
In addition to his portrayal of Jambi, Paragon voiced the character of Pterri the pterodactyl and wrote and directed several episodes of the children's show, including Pee-wee's Playhouse Christmas Special - which earned Paragon an Emmy nomination for Best Writing in a Children's Special.
—Andrea Towers, EW.com, 18 June 2021
Coming down in energy from the recent Spring Break crowds, the sand and shore seem subdued, allowing for contemplation, a brown pelican silently gliding across the shallows in its pterodactyl style, and the random beach beauty taking selfies under the blushing cheeks of mother nature.
—Michael Alpiner, Forbes, 10 May 2021
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'pterodactyl.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near pterodactyl
Cite this Entry
“Pterodactyl.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/pterodactyl. Accessed 24 Apr. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
pterodactyl
noun
ptero·dac·tyl
ˌter-ə-ˈdak-tᵊl
: any of various extinct flying reptiles having a featherless membrane extending from the body along the arms and forming the supporting surface of the wings
Etymology
from scientific Latin Pterodactylus "pterodactyl," from Greek pteron "wing" and Greek daktylos "finger"
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