pen·na

(pĕn′ə)

n. pl. pen·nae (pĕn′ē)

A contour feather of a bird, as distinguished from a down feather or a plume.

[Latin, feather; see pet- in Indo-European roots.]

pen·na′ceous (pĕ-nā′shəs) adj.

American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright © 2016 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

Mentioned in

penna

References in periodicals archive

"Caudipteryx represents an early and preliminary step down an intriguing evolutionary pathway, and is also among the most primitive dinosaurs to possess feathers of the pennaceous (blade-like) type seen in modern birds."

Giant Yutyrannus huali dinosaur had 56 teeth, feathers

Caihong had fuzzy feathers and pennaceous ones, those that look like writing quills.

Chinese 'rainbow dinosaur' had iridescent feathers like hummingbirds

The sample was composed of a nearly equal mix of downy and pennaceous feather types.

Identification of bird species used to make a Viking Age feather pillow

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