[ ˌtɛrə'daktɪl ]
■ noun a pterosaur of the late Jurassic period, with a long, slender head and neck and a very short tail.
↘(in general use) any pterosaur.
Origin
C19: from mod. L. Pterodactylus (genus name), from Gk pteron 'wing' + daktulos 'finger'.