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prehensile
[ pri-hen-sil, -sahyl ]
/ prɪˈhɛn sɪl, -saɪl /
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adjective
adapted for seizing, grasping, or taking hold of something: a prehensile tail.
able to perceive quickly; having keen mental grasp.
greedy; grasping; avaricious.
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Origin of prehensile
1781–85; <French préhensile (coined by Buffon), equivalent to Latin prehens(us) (see prehension) + French -ile-ile
OTHER WORDS FROM prehensile
pre·hen·sil·i·ty [pree-hen-sil-i-tee], /ˌpri hɛnˈsɪl ɪ ti/, nounnon·pre·hen·sile, adjectivesub·pre·hen·sile, adjectivesub·pre·hen·sil·i·ty, nounWords nearby prehensile
pregnanedione, pregnanetriol, pregnant, preheat, prehensible, prehensile, prehension, prehistoric, prehistory, prehnite, prehominid
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2022
How to use prehensile in a sentence
British Dictionary definitions for prehensile
prehensile
/ (prɪˈhɛnsaɪl) /
adjective
adapted for grasping, esp by wrapping around a supporta prehensile tail
Derived forms of prehensile
prehensility (ˌpriːhɛnˈsɪlɪtɪ), nounWord Origin for prehensile
C18: from French préhensile, from Latin prehendere to grasp
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
Medical definitions for prehensile
prehensile
[ prē-hĕn′səl, -sīl′ ]
adj.
Adapted for seizing, grasping, or holding, especially by wrapping around an object.
Other words from prehensile
pre′hen•sil′i•ty (-sĭl′ĭ-tē) n.The American Heritage® Stedman's Medical Dictionary
Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Scientific definitions for prehensile
prehensile
[ prē-hĕn′səl ]
Adapted for seizing, grasping, or holding, especially by wrapping around an object. The feet of many birds, the tails of monkeys, and the trunks of elephants are prehensile.
The American Heritage® Science Dictionary
Copyright © 2011. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.