Pterodactyl
/ˌtɛrəˈdæk.tɪl/noun
A flying reptile of the extinct pterosaur group, especially one with a long beak and wings formed from a skin membrane.
Did you know?The name was coined from Greek roots meaning “wing” and “finger,” because the animal’s wing was supported by an enormously elongated fourth finger, making the word a literal anatomy reveal.
Etymological Timeline
Ancient Greek
Greek
pterón
“wing, feather”
Ancient Greek
Greek
dáktylos
“finger, toe”
1810s
French
ptérodactyle
“the fossil animal later called pterodactyl”
19th Century
English
pterodactyl
“a flying fossil reptile; especially Pterodactylus”
Modern English
English
pterodactyl
“a pterosaur, especially one of the genus Pterodactylus”