palpus

[ pal-puh s ]

/ ˈpæl pəs /

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SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR palpus ON THESAURUS.COM

noun, plural pal·pi [pal-pahy] /ˈpæl paɪ/.

an appendage attached to an oral part and serving as an organ of sense in insects, crustaceans, etc.

RELATED WORDS

antenna, hand, tentacle, finger, claw, whisker, barbel, vibrissa, palp

Nearby words

palpebronasal fold, palpi, palpitant, palpitate, palpitation, palpus, palsa, palsgrave, palsgravine, palsied, palstave

Origin of palpus

1805–15; < New Latin, special use of Latin palpus a stroking, caress, palm of the hand; akin to feel

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

Examples from the Web for palpus

The mouth-parts in this genus are much as in Tomocerus, the maxillæ ending in a lacinia and palpus.
Our Common Insects|Alpheus Spring Packard
In x-notata (fig. 435) the palpus is as long as the cephalothorax, and the tarsus and palpal organ small and round.
The Common Spiders of the United States|James Henry Emerton
The palpus, too, on this side was turned back to correspond to the direction of the legs nearest it.
Studies in the Psychology of Sex, Volume 3 (of 6)|Havelock Ellis
Near the root or base of the mandibles on each side is a jointed feeler, or palpus; but spiders have no antenn.
An Elementary Text-book of the Microscope|John William Griffith

In montana (fig. 435a) the palpus is still shorter, the tibia thicker, and the tarsus and palpal organ larger.
The Common Spiders of the United States|James Henry Emerton