pygostyle
English
Etymology
From English pygo- + Ancient Greek στῦλος (stûlos, “column”).
Pronunciation
- IPA(key): /ˈpaɪɡəstaɪl/
Noun
pygostyle (plural pygostyles)
- 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
- 1971, Anthony Burgess, M/F, Penguin (2004), page 158:
Derived terms
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