appendage

American  

[uh-pen-dij] / əˈpɛn dɪdʒ /

noun

• appendages
  plural

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.

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appendage British  

/ 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

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Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• appendaged
  adjective
• unappendaged
  adjective

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• appendages
  plural

Etymology

Origin of appendage

First recorded in 1640–50; append + -age

Explanation

Use the noun appendage to describe something that’s attached to something larger. Your arm is an appendage to your body. Appendage often describes body parts, either on humans or animals. If it’s something that sticks out — like a finger, tail, or leg — chances are it can be called an appendage. The word can also be used figuratively to refer to something that’s associated with something larger or more important, like a husband who’s a mere appendage to his famous wife. In this sense, the word takes on a negative connotation: the appendage is not important.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

appendage appendages

It is a device that reduces stroke risk for AFib patients by sealing the left atrial appendage, which is where stroke risk starts.

From Barron's ● Jan. 16, 2026

What’s important is understanding how human hands can grasp an object, and then extrapolating that to whatever synthetic appendage has been chosen, she added.

From MarketWatch ● Dec. 27, 2025

He played with a small cast on his left hand and was even using that bandaged appendage to stiff-arm defenders.

From Los Angeles Times ● Dec. 9, 2025

However, with the Pocillopora verrucosa, the appendage was thinner and slower to develop, which could explain the weaker initial attachment.

From Science Daily ● Oct. 29, 2025

Maybe not a miraculous, but certainly a rather curious, story lay behind Onofre’s dearth of an appendage.

From "The Milagro Beanfield War" by John Nichols

Videos captured by the crew confirm it is a mesmerizing creature with long pale “legs” trailing from thicker appendages connected to a pale body composed of two fins that undulate languidly in tandem.

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 5, 2026

Segments 1 through 9 carried segmented appendages, and the rear abdominal limbs had been modified into paddle-like structures.

From Science Daily ● Aug. 27, 2026

She must operate a control pad to manipulate the appendages of a brain-dead coma patient and take him on a cross-country trip so his mother can say goodbye and legally pull the plug on him.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 15, 2026

Even the distributor behind this very sequel, 20th Century Studios, was bought, chopped up and consolidated, now functioning as one of Disney’s many appendages.

From Salon ● May 1, 2026

It crashed into the monster, knocking it over in a tangle of legs and ropy appendages.

From Anya and the Dragon by Sofiya Pasternack

Related Words

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