Diatryma

noun

Di·​a·​try·​ma
ˌdīə‧ˈtrīmə
: a genus of large flightless Eocene birds from Wyoming and New Mexico having much reduced wings, large head and powerful beak, and long massive legs and constituting with extinct related forms (as Gastornis) an order of birds probably most nearly related to the surviving cariamas and bustards

Word History

Etymology

New Latin, from dia- + Greek tryma, trymē hole

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Cite this Entry

“Diatryma.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/Diatryma. Accessed 22 Dec. 2024.

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