claspers
Britishplural noun
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a paired organ of male insects, used to clasp the female during copulation
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a paired organ of male sharks and related fish, used to assist the transfer of spermatozoa into the body of the female during copulation
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.
But apart from the denticles on their pelvic claspers, spotted ratfish are largely smooth-skinned.
From Science Daily ● Oct. 16, 2025
Dermal denticles, including the ones on the spotted ratfish's pelvic claspers, do not have a dental lamina.
From Science Daily ● Oct. 16, 2025
They use gripping appendages, called claspers, to hook themselves onto a female’s spines, giving males an inside track to fertilize the female’s eggs as soon as she releases them from a compartment in her head.
From New York Times ● May 6, 2022
In today’s cartilaginous fish, there are tell-tale claspers behind the pelvic fins.
From The Guardian ● Jan. 24, 2018
This one also has humped segments, and the claspers of the thirteenth segment are imperfectly developed.
From Butterflies and Moths (British) by William S. Furneaux
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