ORNITHOPTER Meaning of ORNITHOPTER in English [ 'ɔ:nɪθɒptə ]■ noun chiefly historical a machine designed to achieve flight by means of flapping wings.Originearly 20th cent.: coined in Fr. as ornithoptère . Concise Oxford English vocab. Сжатый оксфордский словарь английского языка. 2004