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hectocotylus

[ hek-tuh-kot-l-uh s ]
/ ˌhɛk təˈkɒt l əs /

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.

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Origin of hectocotylus

1850–55; < New Latin, equivalent to hecto- hecto- + -cotylus < Greek kotýlē cup

Words nearby hectocotylus

heckuva, hect-, hectare, hectic, hecto-, hectocotylus, hectogram, hectograph, hectoliter, hectolitre, hectometer
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2020

Example sentences from the Web for hectocotylus

British Dictionary definitions for hectocotylus

hectocotylus
/ (ˌhɛktəʊˈkɒtɪləs) /

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