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tertial

adjective ter·tial \ ˈtərshəl \

Definition of tertial

1 : of, relating to, or constituting the flight feathers borne on the basal joint of a bird's wing — compare primary 2c
2 : of, relating to, or constituting some of the innermost secondaries when different from the others or the scapular feathers —not used technically

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Origin and Etymology of tertial

Latin tertius third + English -al; from the fact that tertials form the third row of feathers

2

tertial

noun \ " \

Definition of tertial

plural -s
: a tertial feather

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