pensile

American  

[pen-sahyl, -sil] / ˈpɛn saɪl, -sɪl /

adjective

1. hanging, as the nests of certain birds.

2. building a hanging nest.

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pensile British  

/ pɛnˈsɪlɪtɪ, ˈpɛnsaɪl /

adjective

1. ornithol designating or building a hanging nest

   pensile birds

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Other Word Forms

• pensility noun

Etymology

Origin of pensile

1595–1605; < Latin pēnsilis hanging down, equivalent to pēns ( us ) past participle of pendēre to hang (equivalent to pend- verb stem + -tus past participle suffix, with dt > s ) + -ilis -ile

Example Sentences

Nest—Very rare, only six known; of hair, feathers, moss, etc., bulky, globular, and partly pensile.

From Birds, Illustrated by Color Photography, Vol. 2, No. 3 September 1897 by Various

They construct pensile nests composed of interlaced grass and other similar materials.

From The Gutenberg Webster's Unabridged Dictionary Section T, U, V, and W by Project Gutenberg

It would appear to be over-large for the tiny bird, until we remember that kinglets are wont to have a numerous progeny in their pensile, globular home.

From Bird Neighbors An Introductory Acquaintance with One Hundred and Fifity Birds Commonly Found in the Gardens, Meadows, and Woods About Our Homes by Blanchan, Neltje

Adj. pendent, pendulous; pensile; hanging &c. v.; beetling, jutting over, overhanging, projecting; dependent; suspended &c. v.; loose, flowing. having a peduncle &c. n.; pedunculate†, tailed, caudate.

From Roget's Thesaurus of English Words and Phrases by Roget, Peter Mark

Its natural position is exclusively pensile; it moves laterally from branch to branch with great ease, by using each foot alternately, and climbs, when necessary, by means of its claws.

From Sketches of the Natural History of Ceylon by Tennent, James Emerson, Sir