Definitions
from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition.
- noun A takahe.
from The Century Dictionary.
- noun A genus of gigantic ralline birds of New Zealand and some other islands, with rudimentary wings, related to the gallinules of the genus Porphyrio, supposed to have become extinct within a few years. N. mantelli is the type-species.
from the GNU version of the Collaborative International Dictionary of English.
- proper noun (Zoöl.) A genus of birds allied to the gallinules, but having rudimentary wings and incapable of flight.
Notornis Mantelli was first known as a fossil bird of New Zealand, but subsequently a few individuals were found living on the southern island. It is supposed to be now nearly or quite extinct.
from WordNet 3.0 Copyright 2006 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.
- noun flightless New Zealand birds similar to gallinules
Etymologies
from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 4th Edition
[New Latin Notornīs, former genus name : Greek notos, south + Greek ornīs, bird; see or- in Indo-European roots.]
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