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hectocotylus

[hek-tuh-kot-l-uh s]
noun, plural hec·to·cot·y·li [hek-tuh-kot-l-ahy] /ˌhɛk təˈkɒt lˌaɪ/. Zoology.
  1. a modified arm of the male of certain cephalopods that is used to transfer sperm to the female.
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Origin of hectocotylus

1850–55; < New Latin, equivalent to hecto- hecto- + -cotylus < Greek kotýlē cup
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018

Examples from the Web for hectocotylus

Historical Examples

  • Arms long and equal, without membrane; hectocotylus not autotomous.

    Encyclopaedia Britannica, 11th Edition, Volume 5, Slice 6

    Various

  • Hectocotylus autotomous; arms unequal in size; aquiferous pores on head and funnel.

British Dictionary definitions for hectocotylus

hectocotylus

noun plural -li (-ˌlaɪ)
  1. a tentacle in certain male cephalopod molluscs, such as the octopus, that is specialized for transferring spermatozoa to the female
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Word Origin

C19: New Latin, from hecto- + Greek kotulē cup
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