ovipositor

[oh-vuh-poz-i-ter]

noun

(in certain female insects) an organ at the end of the abdomen, by which eggs are deposited.

a similar organ in other animals, as certain fishes.

Origin of ovipositor

First recorded in 1810–20; oviposit + -or²

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for ovipositor

Historical Examples of ovipositor

Terebrant: with an ovipositor fitted for piercing or boring.
Explanation of Terms Used in Entomology
John. B. Smith
Ovipositor: the organ with which an insect deposits its eggs.
Agriculture for Beginners
Charles William Burkett
When she finds it, she inserts her ovipositor into its body and lays her egg.
The Dawn of Reason
James Weir
To sum up, the ovipositor when at rest goes round the abdomen.
The Mason-bees
J. Henri Fabre
When the ovipositor is brought into use this tube is thrust out.
Encyclopaedia Britannica, 11th Edition, Volume 14, Slice 2
Various

British Dictionary definitions for ovipositor

ovipositor

noun

the egg-laying organ of most female insects, consisting of a pair of specialized appendages at the end of the abdomen

a similar organ in certain female fishes, formed by an extension of the edges of the genital opening

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

ovipositor in Science

ovipositor

[ō′və-pŏz′ĭ-tər]

A tube in many female insects that extends from the end of the abdomen and is used to lay eggs.