Go, Red Wings!

As my fingers tippy-tap this column, the Red Wings are on in the background playing the second game in their series with the Blue Jackets. I’ve been out of town the last few days, so I had no idea what to cover in this Sunday’s blog. My thanks to the Stanley Cup Stalwarts for giving me a clue.

Even if you’re not a Wings fan, you encounter wings all the time.

• aileron: One of the hinged flaps on the trailing edge of a wing of an aeroplane for maintaining or restoring its balance when flying. [F. aileron, diminutive of aile wing.]
• alar: Of or pertaining to a wing or wings. [L. ala, wing]
• aliferous: having wings. [L. alifer, wing-bearing]
• apteryx: the kiwi, a New Zealand bird with rudimentary wings. [Gr. a-, without + pteryx, wing]
• bipennate: two-winged. [L. bi-, two + penna, feather or wing]
• fern: the plant [Old Norse ferne, wing or leaf]
• isopterous: having equal wings. [Gr. iso-, same + pteros, winged]
• Lepidoptera: class of insects that includes butterflies and moths. [Gr. lepis, scale + pteron, wing]
• pennon: a swallow-tailed flag, usually attached to the head of a lance or a helmet. [Fr. penne, feather, wing, plume]
• pinnigerous: having wings or fins. [L. pinniger, feathered or winged]
• rhipipterous: fan-winged. [Gk. hripis, fan + pteron, wing]
• thysanopter: insect characterized by long fringes on the wings. [Gr. thusanos, tassel + pteron, wing]

SIDEBAR: The Wonder of Bird Feathers


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