Definition

1. Noun:
   • The class of birds: In biological taxonomy, "class Aves" is the scientific classification for all bird species. This class encompasses warm-blooded, egg-laying vertebrates characterized by feathers, beaks, and forelimbs modified as wings.

Usage Examples

• Noun:
  • The class Aves includes over 10,000 living species, from hummingbirds to ostriches.
  • Ornithologists study the anatomy and behavior of members of the class Aves.

Advanced Usage

• "belonging to the class Aves": used to formally state an organism's taxonomic classification.
  • Penguins, despite being flightless, are unequivocally members of the class Aves.

Variants and Related Words

• Aves (n): The abbreviated, more common form of the full taxonomic term "class Aves".
  • The phylogeny of Aves is a complex topic in evolutionary biology.
• Avian (adj): Of or relating to birds.
  • Avian influenza is a virus that primarily affects birds.

Synonyms

• Birds: The common, non-scientific term for the animals in this class.
• Avifauna: The birds of a particular region, habitat, or geological period.

Related Phrases

• Class of birds: A descriptive phrase equivalent to the term "class Aves".
  • The class of birds, Aves, is distinct from reptiles like dinosaurs, though they share a common ancestor.

Noun

1. (ornithology) the class of birds