n.
Pronunciation: ˌ är-k ē - ' äp-t ə -riks
Function: noun
Etymology: New Latin, from archae- + Greek pteryx wing; akin to Greek pteron wing ― more at FEATHER
Date: 1859
: a primitive crow-sized bird (genus Archaeopteryx ) of the Upper Jurassic period of Europe having reptilian characteristics (as teeth and a long bony tail)