hectocotylus
[ hek-tuh-kot-l-uhs ]
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
1Words Nearby hectocotylus
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
How to use hectocotylus in a sentence
Arms long and equal, without membrane; hectocotylus not autotomous.
hectocotylus autotomous; arms unequal in size; aquiferous pores on head and funnel.
British Dictionary definitions for hectocotylus
hectocotylus
/ (ˌhɛktəʊˈkɒtɪləs) /
nounplural -li (-ˌlaɪ)
a tentacle in certain male cephalopod molluscs, such as the octopus, that is specialized for transferring spermatozoa to the female
Origin of hectocotylus
1C19: 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
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