prehension

[ pri-hen-shuh n ]

/ prɪˈhɛn ʃən /

SEE SYNONYMS FOR prehension ON THESAURUS.COM

noun

the act of seizing or grasping.

mental apprehension.

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“Compliment” and “complement” had a shared meaning a long time ago, but today they are no longer interchangeable.

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Origin of prehension

1525–35; < Latin prehēnsiōn- (stem of prehēnsiō) a taking hold, equivalent to prehēns(us) (past participle of prehendere to seize, equivalent to pre- pre- + -hendere to grasp; akin to get) + -iōn- -ion

Words nearby prehension

pregnanetriol, pregnant, preheat, prehensible, prehensile, prehension, prehistoric, prehistory, prehnite, prehominid, prehormone

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2020

Example sentences from the Web for prehension

The extensions of the body-substance which are put forth by the Rhizopoda at will, and which serve for locomotion and prehension.
The Ancient Life History of the Earth|Henry Alleyne Nicholson
The mantis reminds one of a small, green monkey, the fore pair of legs being well developed and used in prehension.
The Incomparable 29th and the "River Clyde"|George Davidson
Both toad and crayfish have organs for the prehension of food, its digestion and its assimilation.
Elementary Zoology, Second Edition|Vernon L. Kellogg
Upon this emancipation followed the liberation of jaws and mouth from their use as organs of prehension.
Prehistoric Man|W. L. H. Duckworth

In such cases an ox will use his tongue more in the prehension of food to make up for the incapacity of the lips.
Special Report on Diseases of Cattle|U.S. Department of Agriculture

British Dictionary definitions for prehension

prehension

/ (prɪˈhɛnʃən) /

noun

the act of grasping

apprehension by the senses or the mind

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 prehension

prehension

[ prē-hĕn′shən ]

n.

The act of grasping or seizing.

prehension

noun

QUIZZES

Origin of prehension

Words nearby prehension

Words related to prehension

Example sentences from the Web for prehension

British Dictionary definitions for prehension

noun

Medical definitions for prehension

n.