Chiropterygian

/ˌkaɪrɒptəˈrɪdʒən/ noun

Definition

An organism or creature possessing hand-like fins or wing-like structures resembling those of bats, particularly used in older zoological classification.

Etymology

From 'cheir' (hand), 'pteron' (wing), and 'gian' (relating to). This is an archaic zoological term combining multiple Greek roots to describe hand-finned creatures.

Kelly Says

This ultra-obscure word combines Greek roots in such a specific way that it probably existed in only a handful of 1800s naturalists' notebooks—discovering such words is like finding a species that's extinct even in language!

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