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Definition of "zygodactyl" []

  • Having two toes projecting forward and two projecting backward, as certain climbing birds. (adjective)
  • A zygodactyl bird, such as a parrot. (noun)

American Heritage(R) Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright (c) 2011 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

Use "zygodactyl" in a sentence
  • "According to Britannica.com this arrangement is called zygodactyl and is typical of parrots, woodpeckers, cuckoos and a few other kinds."
  • "Wood peckers and other birds that climb tree trunks often have these zygodactyl toes."
  • "He suggested that it evolved semi-zygodactyl feet from an anisodactyl ancestral roller because its large size and specialisation for arboreal life required improved perching abilities."
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