Bearing, carrying, or producing wings or wing-like structures; having alar appendages or extensions.
From Latin 'ala' (wing) + '-ferous' (from 'ferre' meaning to carry or bear, as in 'coniferous'). The term literally describes anything that carries or bears wings as a characteristic feature.
The suffix '-ferous' appears in hundreds of words—aquiferous (carries water), coniferous (carries cones)—it's Latin's way of saying 'has these things.' Think of it as nature's labeling system.
Complete word intelligence in one call. Free tier — 50 lookups/day.