any of several extinct primitive birds constituting the genus Archaeopteryx, esp A. lithographica, which occurred in Jurassic times and had teeth, a long tail, well-developed wings, and a body covering of feathers
Word origin
C19: from archaeo- + Greek pterux winged creature
archaeopteryx in American English
(ˌɑrkiˈɑptərˌɪks)
noun
a reptilian bird (genus Archaeopteryx) of the Jurassic Period, that had teeth and feathers, a lizardlike tail, and well-developedwings