ovipositor

[ oh-vuh-poz-i-ter ]

/ ˌoʊ vəˈpɒz ɪ tər /

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.

Nearby words

ovine, ovipara, oviparous, oviposit, oviposition, ovipositor, ovisac, ovo-, ovo-lacto-vegetarian, ovoid, ovolactarian

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

The ovipositor of female has the edges quite smooth beneath.
Journals Of Two Expeditions Of Discovery In North-West And Western Australia, Vol. 2 (of 2)|George Grey
Some insects occasionally use the ovipositor merely for defense.
Agriculture for Beginners|Charles William Burkett
Episternites: the upper pair of corneous appendages forming the ovipositor in grasshoppers.
Explanation of Terms Used in Entomology|John. B. Smith
Finally, standing erect and incurvating her abdomen between her legs, she cleans it and her ovipositor with her jaws and tongue.
The Dawn of Reason|James Weir

Terebrantia: Hymenoptera with sessile abdomen and valved ovipositors: Thripids in which the ovipositor of female is borer-like.
Explanation of Terms Used in Entomology|John. B. Smith

British Dictionary definitions for ovipositor

ovipositor

/ (ˌəʊvɪˈpɒzɪtə) /

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

Science definitions for ovipositor

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.