protrusile

American

[proh-troo-sil, -sahyl, pruh-] / proʊˈtru sɪl, -saɪl, prə- /

adjective

capable of being thrust forth or extended, as the tongue of a hummingbird.

protrusile British

/ prəˈtruːsaɪl /

adjective

Also: projectile. zoology capable of being thrust forwards

protrusile jaws

"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

Etymology

Origin of protrusile

1840–50; < Latin prōtrūs ( us ) (past participle of prōtrūdere to protrude ) + -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.

Goblin sharks are deep-sea fish whose frightening, protrusile jaws served as an inspiration for the terrifying creatures in the “Alien” movie franchise.

From New York Times • Mar. 24, 2023

The mouth is suctorial, and the two horny rods, with their central piece or pieces, are protrusile.

From Marvels of Pond-life A Year's Microscopic Recreations by Slack, Henry J.

Nemertea, nē-mer′tē-a, n.pl. a class of Vermes, mostly marine, unsegmented, covered with cilia, often brightly coloured, with protrusile proboscis, and usually distinct sexes.—adj.

From Chambers's Twentieth Century Dictionary (part 3 of 4: N-R) by Various

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023