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.
Nearby words
hect-, hectare, hectic, hecticly, hecto-, hectocotylus, hectogram, hectograph, hectographic, hectography, hectoliter
Origin of hectocotylus
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019
Examples from the Web for hectocotylus
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) /
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