pensile
Americanadjective
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hanging, as the nests of certain birds.
-
building a hanging nest.
adjective
Other Word Forms
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
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
These are in great part perpendicular, and are over clambered with airy stairways climbing to pensile arbors.
From Italian Journeys by Howells, William Dean
The moon shone down, but the shadows deep Of the pensile flowers, were hushed in sleep.
From Poems by Goodrich, Samuel G. (Samuel Griswold)
The oriole uses them the most successfully, often attaching her pensile nest to the branch by their aid.
From Ways of Nature by Burroughs, John
They are celebrated for their fine purse-shaped pensile nests.
From Contributions to the Theory of Natural Selection A Series of Essays by Wallace, Alfred Russel
The crested waters sleep; White stars their emerald twilight keep Above the tryst of pensile glories That kiss to purple-and-gold the deep.
From Song-waves by Rand, Theodore H. (Theodore Harding)
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
