Meanings
plural archeopteryxes · alternative archaeopteryx · alternative archaiopteryx · alternative archæopteryx
- biologyA specimen of the species Archaeopteryx lithographica, being the earliest and most primitive known bird, representing a transition in the evolution of dinosaurs to birds.
1 more example
Since Pterosaurians are triassic and the Archæopteryges jurassic we are justified in regarding the actual chronology of external integument in the geological strata as : first, scale ; second, hair ; and third, feather. This inspires us to make a wider appeal to geology in order to have a comprehensive sketch of the avian sequence.
1935, Zoological Society of London, Proceedings, page 758
Synonyms & antonyms
nounextinct primitive toothed bird of the Jurassic period having a long feathered tail and hollow bones; usually considered the most primitive of all birds
Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.
Origin
- Ancient Greekπτέρυξ“wing”, “bird”
- Ancient Greekἀρχαῖος
- Englisharcheopteryx
From English archaeo- (“ancient”, “primitive”) (from Ancient Greek ἀρχαῖος (arkhaîos)) + English -o- + Ancient Greek πτέρυξ (ptérux, “wing”, “bird”).
More words from Ancient Greek
Full word history & related roots →Translations
Catalan arqueòpterix
- arqueòpterixancient bird
Chinese Mandarin 始祖鳥 /始祖鸟
- 始祖鳥 /始祖鸟 (shǐzǔniǎo)ancient bird
Czech archeopteryx
- archeopteryxancient bird
Danish archaeopteryx, archæopteryx
- archaeopteryxancient bird
- archæopteryxancient bird
Dutch archaeopteryx
- archaeopteryxancient bird
Esperanto arkeopterigo
- arkeopterigoancient bird
Finnish archaeopteryx
- archaeopteryxancient bird
French archéoptéryx
- archéoptéryxancient bird
German Urvogel, Archäopteryx
- Urvogelancient bird
- Archäopteryxancient bird
- Archaeopteryxancient bird
Greek αρχαιοπτέρυξ, αρχαιοπτέρυγα
- αρχαιοπτέρυξ (archaioptéryx)ancient bird
- αρχαιοπτέρυγα (archaioptéryga)ancient bird
Hindi आद्यपक्षी
- आद्यपक्षी (ādyapakṣī)ancient bird
Hungarian archaeopteryx
- archaeopteryxancient bird
Icelandic öglir
- öglirancient bird
Irish aircéiptéirics
- aircéiptéiricsancient bird
Italian archeotterige
- archeotterigeancient bird
Japanese 始祖鳥
- 始祖鳥 (shisochō)ancient bird
Latvian arheopterikss
- arheopterikssancient bird
Lithuanian archeopteriksas
- archeopteriksasancient bird
Norwegian Bokmål urfugl, archaeopteryx
- urfuglancient bird
- archaeopteryxancient bird
Polish archeopteryks
- archeopteryksancient bird
Portuguese arqueoptérix
- arqueoptérixancient bird
Romanian arheopterix
- arheopterixancient bird
Russian археопте́рикс
- археопте́рикс (arxeoptériks)ancient bird
Slovak archaeopteryx
- archaeopteryxancient bird
Spanish archaeopteryx, arqueoptérix
- archaeopteryxancient bird
- arqueoptérixancient bird
Swedish archaeopteryx
- archaeopteryxancient bird
Turkish archaeopteryx
- archaeopteryxancient bird
Cite this entry
archeopteryx. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 4, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/archeopteryx
“archeopteryx.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/archeopteryx. Accessed November 4, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “archeopteryx,” accessed November 4, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/archeopteryx.
Source: archeopteryx on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.