(n) in former classifications: comprising plants with a vascular system including ferns and fern allies as well as seed plants, Syn. division Tracheophyta
(n) extinct primitive toothed bird of the Jurassic period having a long feathered tail and hollow bones; usually considered the most primitive of all birds, Syn. archeopteryx, Archaeopteryx lithographica
n. 1. an extinct primitive toothed bird (Archaeopteryx lithographica) of the Upper Jurassic having a long feathered tail and hollow bones; usually considered the most primitive of all known birds. Same as archaeopteryx. Syn. -- archaeopteryx. [ WordNet 1.5 ]
‖n. pl. [ NL., from trachea + Gr. fonei^n to sound. ] (Zool.) A group of passerine birds having the syrinx at the lower end of the trachea. [ 1913 Webster ]