Aviform

Part of speech: adjective

Definitions

1. Resembling the shape or characteristics often associated with birds
2. Referring to forms or traits that are distinctive of avian life
3. Having characteristics or features that are similar to those found in birds

Etymology: "Aviform" is a plain technical coinage built from two parts. The first comes from Latin "avis," meaning "bird," a root that also gave English words such as "aviary" and "aviation." The second, "-form," is the familiar suffix from Latin "forma," meaning "shape" or "form," which English uses to describe something having a particular shape or type, as in "uniform" or "cruciform." Joined together, the pieces mean "bird-shaped" or "bird-like," and the word is used in the sense of having features resembling those of birds. Because it is built transparently from Latin parts, its meaning can be read directly from its construction, with no shift in sense from an earlier usage to account for.