Proavis

P3R1O1A1V4I1S1

noun

Any of various hypothetical extinct species or taxa that were coined in the early 20th century in an attempt to support and explain the hypothetical evolutionary steps and anatomical adaptations leading from non-avian theropod dinosaurs to birds.

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Meanings

nounProavis (plural Proaves)

plural Proaves · alternative Pro-Avis

  1. biologyAny of various hypothetical extinct species or taxa that were coined in the early 20th century in an attempt to support and explain the hypothetical evolutionary steps and anatomical adaptations leading from non-avian theropod dinosaurs to birds.

Origin

From pro- (“prior”) + Latin avis (“bird”)

Full word history & related roots →

Rhymes & wordplay

Anagrams

pavisor
Cite this entry
APA

Proavis. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 2, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/Proavis

MLA

“Proavis.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/Proavis. Accessed November 2, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “Proavis,” accessed November 2, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/Proavis.

Source: Proavis on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.