始祖 shǐzǔ first ancestor Definitions Defs Origin Strokes Stroke Words Sentences Sents 始祖鸟 shǐzǔniǎo archaeopteryx A Jurassic fossilized bird from about 140 million years ago, viewed as a transitional species between reptiles and birds; it had wings and feathers but also teeth, claws on its wings, and a long lizard-like tail.