hectocotylus

[hek-tuh-kot-l-uh s]

noun, plural hec·to·cot·y·li

[hek-tuh-kot-l-ahy] /ˌhɛk təˈkɒt lˌaɪ/. Zoology.

a modified arm of the male of certain cephalopods that is used to transfer sperm to the female.

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 of hectocotylus

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

British Dictionary definitions for hectocotylus

hectocotylus

noun plural -li (-ˌlaɪ)

a tentacle in certain male cephalopod molluscs, such as the octopus, that is specialized for transferring spermatozoa to the female

Word Origin for hectocotylus

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