ovipositor

[ oh-vuh-poz-i-ter ]

/ ˌoʊ vəˈpɒz ɪ tər /

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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.

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Origin of ovipositor

First recorded in 1810–20; oviposit + -or²

Words nearby ovipositor

ovine, ovipara, oviparous, oviposit, oviposition, ovipositor, ovisac, OV language, ovo-, ovoid, ovolactarian

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use ovipositor in a sentence

Snailfish use syringe-like ovipositors to deposit their eggs.
The Largest Cells on Earth - Issue 99: Universality|Rebecca R. Helm|May 5, 2021|Nautilus
Usually about an hour later, she will search for a tender tree branch, slice into it with her swordlike ovipositor, and lay eggs in the space.
What is Brood X? When do cicadas come out in 2021? Answering your buggiest questions.|Bonnie Berkowitz, Artur Galocha|April 1, 2021|Washington Post
On the former supposition, the ovipositor must be remarkably long and flexile to enable the animal to place the eggs on its back.
An Introduction to Entomology: Vol. III (of 4)|William Kirby
A tubular ovipositor, consisting of several pieces often retractile within each other, like the tubes of a telescope.
An Introduction to Entomology: Vol. III (of 4)|William Kirby

Two lateral lamin, often coriaceous, by which the ovipositor when unemployed is covered.
An Introduction to Entomology: Vol. III (of 4)|William Kirby
They all have membranous wings, and all the females have either a saw, an ovipositor or a sting at the tip of the abdomen.
Book of Monsters|David Fairchild and Marian Hubbard (Bell) Fairchild
Many of these have the ovipositor greatly lengthened, and projecting like a very slender needle from the extremity of the abdomen.
The Romance of Natural History, Second Series|Philip Henry Gosse

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

Scientific 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.