crissa

Variant of crissum

crissum definition

cris·sum (kris′əm)

noun pl. crissa -·sa (-ə)

  1. the area under the tail of a bird, around the cloacal opening
  2. the feathers covering this

Etymology: ModL < L crissare, for crisare, to move the haunches < IE *(s)kreit- < base *(s)ker-, to turn > L curvus: see curve

Webster's New World College Dictionary Copyright © 2005 by Wiley Publishing, Inc., Cleveland, Ohio.
Used by arrangement with John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

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