pygostyle

pygostyle

English

Etymology

From English pygo- + Ancient Greek στῦλος (stûlos, “column”).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈpaɪɡəstaɪl/

Noun

pygostyle (plural pygostyles)

1. The plate supporting the tail-feathers in birds, formed from fused vertebrae.
   • 1971, Anthony Burgess, M/F, Penguin (2004), page 158:

     Aderyn the Bird Queen sat down; her pygostyle engaged a hard wooden bottom.

   Synonyms: parson's nose, ploughshare bone, pope's nose, sultan's nose

Derived terms

• propygostylar

Translations

the plate supporting the tail-feathers in birds

Irish: pígistíl f

Spanish: pigóstilo m