appendage

[uh-pen-dij]

noun

1. a subordinate part attached to something; an auxiliary part; addition.

2. Anatomy, Zoology.,  any member of the body diverging from the axial trunk.

3. Botany, Mycology.,  any subsidiary part superadded to another part.

4. a person in a subordinate or dependent position, especially a servile or parasitic follower.

appendage

/ əˈpɛndɪdʒ /

noun

1. an ancillary or secondary part attached to a main part; adjunct

2. zoology any organ that projects from the trunk of animals such as arthropods

3. botany any subsidiary part of a plant, such as a branch or leaf

Other Word Forms

• appendaged adjective
• unappendaged adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of appendage¹

First recorded in 1640–50; append + -age

Example Sentences

My phone is an extension of my physical being, an appendage I don’t want but feel forced to have.

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Season 2 opens with the stitched-up appendage beating the hell out of a serial killer.

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I didn’t articulate any of this at the time, but a previously unknown, murky appendage in my brainstem lifted its head and howled disagreement.

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The catch is that whenever someone enters, red lights blink on and off at their partners’ villa to alert them that someone is sticking a few appendages where they shouldn't be.

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“Around 20 to 30 people from overseas have come in the last month,” Miyoko Ishikawa, whose seat at the information desk directly faces the outstretched appendage.

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Related Words

• arm 
• extremity 
• foot 
• hand 
• leg 
• limb