retractile

[ri-trak-til]

See more synonyms for retractile on Thesaurus.com

adjective Zoology.

capable of being drawn back or in, as the head of a tortoise; exhibiting the power of retraction.

Origin of retractile

First recorded in 1770–80; retract¹ + -ile

Related formsre·trac·til·i·ty

[ree-trak-til-i-tee] /ˌri trækˈtɪl ɪ ti/, nounnon·re·trac·tile, adjectivenon·re·trac·til·i·ty, nounsub·re·trac·tile, adjective

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018

Related Words for retractile

tentacle, paw, fingernail, talon, nipper, crook, hook, barb, spur, unguis, clapperclaw, fang, manus, grapnel, grappler, retractile, ungula

Examples from the Web for retractile

Historical Examples of retractile

Tentacular -um: retractile processes on the larvae of Lepidoptera.
Explanation of Terms Used in Entomology
John. B. Smith
The tongue of some Hymenoptera also is retractile within the mouth.
An Introduction to Entomology: Vol. III (of 4)
William Kirby
In Stenus this organ is retractile, and consists of two joints.
An Introduction to Entomology: Vol. III (of 4)
William Kirby
The vermiform and retractile tongue is also a most singular organ.
Reptiles and Birds
Louis Figuier
The claws are not retractile, or at most semi-retractile as in the Panda.
The Cambridge Natural History, Vol X., Mammalia
Frank Evers Beddard

British Dictionary definitions for retractile

retractile

adjective

capable of being drawn inthe retractile claws of a cat

Derived Formsretractility (ˌriːtrækˈtɪlɪtɪ), noun

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

retractile in Medicine

retractile

[rĭ-trăk′tĭl, -tīl′]

adj.

That can be drawn back or in, as the claws of a cat.