extensile

[ ik-sten-suh l, -sahyl ]

/ ɪkˈstɛn səl, -saɪl /

capable of being extended; adapted for stretching out; extensible; protrusible.

Nearby words

First recorded in 1735–45; extens(ion) + -ile

Related formsnon·ex·ten·sile, adjective

It has an excessively long, slender muzzle, and a worm-like, extensile tongue.
Oregon and Eldorado|Thomas Bulfinch
The tongue is long and extensile, and is much attenuated towards the tip, where it is covered with strong and recurved papillae.
The Cambridge Natural History, Vol X., Mammalia|Frank Evers Beddard
There are no teeth; and although the tongue is long and worm-like, it is not extensile.
Encyclopaedia Britannica, 11th Edition, Volume 8, Slice 10|Various
It is really astonishing to see what large morsels they can dispose of with the assistance of their extensile mouths and stomachs.
The Sea Shore|William S. Furneaux

The only other North American birds that have a tongue built upon this plan are the hummingbirds, in which also it is extensile.
The Woodpeckers|Fannie Hardy Eckstorm