pterosaur

noun

ptero·​saur ˈter-ə-ˌsȯr 

: any of an order (Pterosauria) of extinct flying reptiles existing from the Late Triassic throughout the Jurassic and most of the Cretaceous and having a featherless wing membrane extending from the side of the body along the arm to the end of the greatly elongated fourth digit

Examples of pterosaur in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

As paleontologists explain in a study published in the journal Gondwana Research, the massive ichthyosaur who made a meal of the pterosaur soon became a snack for a gigantic apex predator that swam the inland Eromanga Sea over 100 million years ago. — Andrew Paul, Popular Science, 29 July 2026

Nagatitan lived alongside various other dinosaurs as well as flying reptiles called pterosaurs. — Reuters, NBC news, 15 May 2026

Flying reptiles called pterosaurs would've also eaten fish from the river. — Michelle Del Rey, USA Today, 15 May 2026

Towering over walkways and soaring overhead, a life-size cast of prehistoric giants will take over the grounds — from a pterosaur perched for flight to a sprawling brontosaurus and a fearsome Tyrannosaurus rex. — Eva Remijan-Toba, Chicago Tribune, 24 Mar. 2026

Word History

Etymology

New Latin Pterosauria, from Greek pteron wing + sauros lizard

First Known Use

1863, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for pterosaur

• albacore
• alongshore
• antiwar
• anymore
• carnivore
• commodore
• dinosaur
• evermore
• furthermore
• guarantor
• herbivore
• heretofore

Kids Definition

pterosaur

noun

ptero·​saur ˈter-ə-ˌsȯ(ə)r 

: pterodactyl