dentiˈroster Ornith. rare
[a. F. dentirostre, ad. mod.L. dentirostr-is, f. L. denti- tooth + rostrum beak, of which the pl. Dentirostrēs was introduced by Cuvier as the name of a family of birds.]
A member of the Dentirostres or Passerine birds having a tooth or notch on each side of the upper mandible. By Cuvier applied to an immense assemblage of birds having no natural relations; by more recent naturalists restricted to the Turdoid or thrush-like Passeres or Insessores.
| [1839 Jardine Brit. Birds II. 53 The first of the great tribes into which the insessorial birds are separated, the Dentirostres.] 1847 Craig, Dentirosters, Dentirostres. |
Hence dentiˈrostral, dentiˈrostrate adjs., belonging to the Dentirostres; having a toothed beak.
| 1841 Proc. Berw. Nat. Club I. 251 The Dentirostral tribe. 1847 Craig, Dentirostrate. 1876 Amer. Cycl. XV. 727 A very large family of dentirostral birds. 1883 Syd. Soc. Lex., Dentirostrate, having the characters of the Dentirostres. |