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

Feathers likely originated about 250 million years ago, during the Triassic period, in the common ancestors of dinosaurs and pterosaurs. —science.org, 3 July 2024

The Past Here is the most terrifying pterosaur ever discovered Meet your new flying nightmare: Thapunngaka shawi. —Big Think, 24 June 2024

But these eggs, which numbered as many as 300, weren’t dinosaurs but pterosaurs — flying reptiles from from the species Hamipterus tianshanensis. —Joshua Rapp Learn, Discover Magazine, 15 May 2024

In May 2023, another study led by Pentland found that pterosaurs flew in Australia’s skies as far back as 107 million years ago. —Jack Guy, CNN, 13 June 2024

Word History

Etymology

New Latin Pterosauria, from Greek pteron wing + sauros lizard

First Known Use

1863, in the meaning defined above

Kids Definition

pterosaur

noun

ptero·​saur ˈter-ə-ˌsȯ(ə)r 

: pterodactyl