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chela

1 American  
[kee-luh] / ˈki lə /

noun

  • chelae
    plural
  1. the pincerlike organ or claw terminating certain limbs of crustaceans and arachnids.


chela 2 American  
[chay-lah] / ˈtʃeɪ lɑ /

noun

  1. (in India) a disciple of a religious teacher.


chela 1 British  
/ ˈkiːlə /

noun

  1. a large pincer-like claw of such arthropods as the crab and scorpion

"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

chela 2 British  
/ ˈtʃeɪlə /

noun

  1. Hinduism a disciple of a religious teacher

"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

Derived Forms

Inflected Forms

Nouns

Etymology

Origin of chela1

1640–50; < New Latin < Greek chēlḗ claw

Origin of chela2

1825–35; < Hindi celā; compare Pali cellaka monk, Prakrit cilla boy, student

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

See Examples For:

The drink's name represents maybe the world's best contraction, combining "chela," a slang term for beer; "ada" from "helada," meaning cold; and "mi" for mine — a.k.a "my cold beer."

From Salon ● Jul. 4, 2022

One day a certain chela, convinced that his worth was not being duly evaluated, gave voice to his discontent.

From Autobiography of a Yogi by Paramahansa Yogananda

Moreover, my chela, I think that may be we have overpassed that River.'

From Kim by Rudyard Kipling

The chela pointed to a broad-shouldered, fine-featured man with long hair and hoary beard.

From Autobiography of a Yogi by Paramahansa Yogananda

A young Afghan, who was a pupil of mine and a Muhammadan student in the school, begged to be allowed to accompany me as a chela, or disciple.

From Among the Wild Tribes of the Afghan Frontier A Record of Sixteen Years' Close Intercourse with the Natives of the Indian Marches by T. L. (Theodore Leighton) Pennell

These appendages, known as chelae, function much like forceps and are extremely uncommon among insects.

From Science Daily ● May 25, 2026

The scientists also carried out a large morphological comparison involving more than 2,000 chelae and similar grasping appendages from both living and extinct species.

From Science Daily ● May 25, 2026

"The name seemed fitting because the posture of the fossil's chelae strongly resembles the group's trademark pose. Stray Kids, I should add, is the favorite band of one of the paper's authors, Fenja Haug."

From Science Daily ● May 25, 2026

"Previously, such chelae were known from only three insect groups. This fossil therefore represents the fourth known case of these structures evolving independently in insects," explains Privatdozent Carolin Haug, zoologist at LMU's Faculty of Biology.

From Science Daily ● May 25, 2026

The head climbed to the shoulders and settled itself inside the leather collar that now hid its chelae and legs.

From The Chessmen of Mars by Edgar Rice Burroughs

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