non-avian
adjective
non-avi·an
ˌnän-ˈā-vē-ən 
variants
or
1
: not of or relating to birds : not avian
… assorted nonavian creatures whirring, buzzing and croaking.—
Richard Conniff
Richard Conniffnonavian anatomy
2
: of, relating to, or being a non-avian dinosaur
non-avian theropods
Examples of non-avian in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
But the reality is that asteroids did in fact lead to the end of the non-avian dinosaur era sixty-six million years ago.
—Dana Taylor, USA TODAY, 2 Oct. 2024
Exactly how Microraptor flew isn’t entirely clear, but the non-avian dinosaur represents a different pathway for getting into the air and indicates that more than one feathery dinosaur lineage evolved to become airborne.
—Riley Black, Smithsonian Magazine, 20 Sep. 2024
The extinction wiped out about 75% of species, including non-avian dinosaurs.
—Scott Travers, Forbes, 7 Sep. 2024
The huge space rock known as the Chicxulub impactor is widely believed to have ended the reign of non-avian dinosaurs, altering the planet's climate and paving the way for mammals to rise from the proverbial ashes.
—Eric Lagatta, USA TODAY, 16 Aug. 2024
Sixty-six million years ago, an enormous asteroid collided with Earth, contributing to a mass extinction event that wiped out all the non-avian dinosaurs.
—Will Sullivan, Smithsonian Magazine, 16 Aug. 2024
The asteroid likely responsible for wiping out roughly 75-percent of all Earth’s species, including non-avian dinosaurs, wasn’t just one of the planet’s rare mass extinction events—the culprit space rock was a cosmic rarity in itself.
—Andrew Paul, Popular Science, 15 Aug. 2024
But today, regular, non-avian shooting remains popular at the summer games, typically involving the use of clay pigeons.
—Justin Klawans, The Week Us, theweek, 9 Aug. 2024
The rocks preserve some of the last non-avian dinosaurs before Earth’s fifth mass extinction, including icons such as Tyrannosaurus and Triceratops.
—Riley Black, Smithsonian Magazine, 24 Jan. 2024
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Dana Taylor, USA TODAY, 2 Oct. 2024
Exactly how Microraptor flew isn’t entirely clear, but the non-avian dinosaur represents a different pathway for getting into the air and indicates that more than one feathery dinosaur lineage evolved to become airborne.
—Riley Black, Smithsonian Magazine, 20 Sep. 2024
The extinction wiped out about 75% of species, including non-avian dinosaurs.
—Scott Travers, Forbes, 7 Sep. 2024
The huge space rock known as the Chicxulub impactor is widely believed to have ended the reign of non-avian dinosaurs, altering the planet's climate and paving the way for mammals to rise from the proverbial ashes.
—Eric Lagatta, USA TODAY, 16 Aug. 2024
Sixty-six million years ago, an enormous asteroid collided with Earth, contributing to a mass extinction event that wiped out all the non-avian dinosaurs.
—Will Sullivan, Smithsonian Magazine, 16 Aug. 2024
The asteroid likely responsible for wiping out roughly 75-percent of all Earth’s species, including non-avian dinosaurs, wasn’t just one of the planet’s rare mass extinction events—the culprit space rock was a cosmic rarity in itself.
—Andrew Paul, Popular Science, 15 Aug. 2024
But today, regular, non-avian shooting remains popular at the summer games, typically involving the use of clay pigeons.
—Justin Klawans, The Week Us, theweek, 9 Aug. 2024
The rocks preserve some of the last non-avian dinosaurs before Earth’s fifth mass extinction, including icons such as Tyrannosaurus and Triceratops.
—Riley Black, Smithsonian Magazine, 24 Jan. 2024
Dictionary Entries Near non-avian
Cite this Entry
“Non-avian.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/non-avian. Accessed 30 Nov. 2024.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share