chela
noun
the pincerlike organ or claw terminating certain limbs of crustaceans and arachnids.
chelae
-
pluralof chela.plural
The grammatical form denoting more than one person, place, thing, or idea.
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.
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
Researchers believe the oversized chelae on its front legs were likely used to seize and hold small insect prey as it hunted through the ancient coastal environment.
From Science Daily ● May 25, 2026
These appendages, known as chelae, function much like forceps and are extremely uncommon among insects.
From Science Daily ● May 25, 2026
In many species the chelae are of unequal size on the opposite side of the body, the right-hand one being, as I am informed by Mr. Bate, generally, though not invariably, the largest.
From The Descent of Man by Charles Darwin
