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cercus

American  
[sur-kuhs, ker-] / ˈsɜr kəs, ˈkɛr- /

noun

plural

cerci

  1. one of a pair of appendages at the rear of the abdomen of certain insects and other arthropods, serving as tactile organs.

cercus British  
/ ˈsɜːkəs /

noun

  1. one of a pair of sensory appendages at the tip of the abdomen of some insects and other arthropods

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Other Word Forms

  • cercal adjective

Etymology

Origin of cercus

1820–30; < New Latin < Greek kérkos tail

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.