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telson

American  
[tel-suhn] / ˈtɛl sən /

noun

  1. the last segment, or an appendage of the last segment, of certain arthropods, as the middle flipper of a lobster's tail.


telson British  
/ ˈtɛlsən, tɛlˈsɒnɪk /

noun

  1. the last segment or an appendage on the last segment of the body of crustaceans and arachnids

"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

Other Word Forms

  • telsonic adjective

Etymology

Origin of telson

First recorded in 1850–55, telson is from the Greek word télson boundary, limit

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.

After crunching the numbers, Green found that incorporating this telson coil behavior enables mantis shrimp to dissipate more energy than their armor can absorb based on its material properties alone, bumping the number from 69% of strike energy to around 90%.

From Science Daily

Gavin Lauridsen and Kyle Telson combined on a three-hitter.

From Los Angeles Times

Breuer, an innovative director who was a founding member of the avant-garde theater troupe Mabou Mines, and Telson, a versatile composer and songwriter drawn to mercurial film and theater projects, chose “Oedipus at Colonus” for an experiment in adaptation.

From Los Angeles Times

The connection between suffering and redemption is of course central to Christianity, making Breuer and Telson’s recontextualizing of the Oedipus story both resonant and curiously compatible.

From Los Angeles Times

Telson’s glorious gospel score engulfs the work, dictating its path and momentum.

From Los Angeles Times