zygodactyl

Z10Y4G2O1D2A1C3T1Y4L1

adjective

Having two toes pointing forward, and two pointing backward; zygodactylous.

Opposite
heterodactyl
Scrabble 29
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Meanings

adjectivezygodactyl (not comparable)
  1. not comparableHaving two toes pointing forward, and two pointing backward; zygodactylous.

    In parrots, the tarsometatarsus has a distinct shape resulting from the particular arrangement of parrot toes. As zygodactyl birds, toes number 2 and 3 are facing forward, while toes 1 and 4 are facing backwards.

    2016 November 16, Hanneke Meijer, “Sunny steppes? A tiny parrot fossil suggests Siberia was once subtropical”, in The Guardian
nounzygodactyl (plural zygodactyls)

plural zygodactyls

  1. biologyAny bird with toes of this kind, such as the parrot.

Synonyms & antonyms

adjective(of bird feet) having the first and fourth toes directed backward the second and third forward

Opposite
heterodactyl
Also see
zygodactylous

Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.

Origin

From zygo- + -dactyl.

Full word history & related roots →
Cite this entry
APA

zygodactyl. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/zygodactyl

MLA

“zygodactyl.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/zygodactyl. Accessed November 3, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “zygodactyl,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/zygodactyl.

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