English
pygostyle
Pygostyle comes from Ancient Greek στῦλος ‘column’.
- Ancient Greekc. 800–300 BCEστῦλοςstûlos‘column’
- Englishearliest quotation 1971pygostyle
attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed
Earlier history uncertain.
Lineage
- Ancient Greekc. 800–300 BCEστῦλοςstûlos‘column’
- Englishearliest quotation 1971pygostyle
Earliest quotation: 1971, Anthony Burgess, M/F: “Aderyn the Bird Queen sat down; her pygostyle engaged…”
Equivalent to pygo- + -style
Linked words
through Proto-Indo-European *steh₂- ‘to stand’
state, system, stay, rest, post, stand, distance, assistant, stadium, assistance, instance, constitution, stood, contest, consistent, establish, assist, instant, stable, destination, stem, substance, testimony, destiny, distant, resist, stability, static, insist, consist, persistent, stud, stationary, prostitution, persist, stool, prostitute, substitution, extant, stamina, 158 more
Today it means
noun The plate supporting the tail-feathers in birds, formed from fused vertebrae.
Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.
Etymograph / Ancient Greek στῦλος / pygostyle