from
The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48
Cheiroptera \Chei*rop"te*ra\ (k[-i]*r[o^]p"t[-e]*r[.a]), prop.
n. pl. [NL., fr. Gr. chei`r hand + ptero`n wing.] (Zool.)
An earlier spelling for {Chiroptera}, an order of Mammalia,
including the bats, having four toes of each of the anterior
limbs elongated and connected by a web, so that they can be
used like wings in flying. See {Chiroptera} and {Bat}.
[archaic]
[1913 Webster +PJC]
from
The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48
chiroptera \chi*rop"te*ra\ (k[-i]*r[o^]p"t[~e]r), n. pl. [NL.,
fr. Gr. chei`r hand + ptero`n wing.] (Zool.)
an ancient order of mammalia dating to the early Eocene,
including the bats. They are nocturnal mouselike mammals
having four toes of each of the anterior limbs elongated and
connected by a web, so that they form membranous wings that
can be used in flying. They also have anatomical adaptations,
including large ears, for echolocation, by which they
navigate and in some cases find insects. The order includes
the suborders Megachiroptera (the fruit bats) and
Microchiroptera (insectivorous bats). See {Bat}. Previously
spelled {cheiroptera}. [archaic]
[1913 Webster + WordNet 1.5]