Ornithomorphic

Part of speech: adjective

Definitions

1. Having the attributes or appearances reminiscent of birds
2. Characterized by forms or qualities that are avian in nature
3. Exhibiting characteristics or traits that imitate birdlike shapes or appearances

Etymology: The word is built from two Greek elements: "ornis," meaning bird, and "morphē," meaning form or shape, with the English suffix "-ic" added to make an adjective. Literally, it means "bird-formed." Its roots are classical, but the compound itself is a modern English formation, so no ancient Greek writer would have used it. The same "ornitho-" element appears in "ornithology," the study of birds, and in "ornithopter," a flying machine that flaps wings like a bird. Both are likewise later coinages from the same Greek root, which is why the three words look so alike.