rhamphotheca

[ ram-fuh-thee-kuh ]

noun

1. the horny covering of a bird's bill.

Word History and Origins

Origin of rhamphotheca¹

1865–70; < Greek rhámpho ( s ) beak + theca

Example Sentences

That layer, called the rhamphotheca, is adapted for food foraging, and contains sensory organs that detect prey.

From National Geographic

We might be looking at the shapes of the skull bones, for example, while lacking the all-important rhamphotheca; likewise for claws where the keratinous sheath is absent or incomplete.

From Scientific American