pygostyle

English

Etymology

From English pygo- + Ancient Greek στῦλος (stûlos, column).

Pronunciation

  • IPA(key): /ˈpaɪɡəstaɪl/

Noun

pygostyle (plural pygostyles)

  1. The plate supporting the tail-feathers in birds, formed from fused vertebrae.
    • 1971, Anthony Burgess, M/F, Penguin (2004), page 158:
      Aderyn the Bird Queen sat down; her pygostyle engaged a hard wooden bottom.
    Synonyms: parson's nose, ploughshare bone, pope's nose, sultan's nose

Derived terms

Translations

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