telson

[ tel-suhn ]

/ ˈtɛl sən /

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noun

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

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Origin of telson

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

OTHER WORDS FROM telson

tel·son·ic

[tel-son-ik], /tɛlˈsɒn ɪk/, adjective

Words nearby telson

telophase, telos, telotaxis, telpher, telpherage, telson, telsontail, Telstar, Telugu, Telukbetung, Tema

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use telson in a sentence

The appendages on the next to last segment are divided and broadly flattened, forming with the telson a powerful swimming-paddle.
The Sea-beach at Ebb-tide|Augusta Foote Arnold
The sixth segment of the abdomen has a pair of biramous appendages, which, with the telson, form a swimming-fan.
The Sea-beach at Ebb-tide|Augusta Foote Arnold
Telson, tel′son, n. the last somite of the pleon or abdomen of certain crustaceans and arachnidans.
Chambers's Twentieth Century Dictionary (part 4 of 4: S-Z and supplements)|Various
Among the last, looking about anxiously for a place to stand and watch the big race, are Telson and Parson, arm-in-arm.
The Willoughby Captains|Talbot Baines Reed

The cheers, of course, all round the field are tremendous, and nowhere more exciting than where Telson and Parson are located.
The Willoughby Captains|Talbot Baines Reed

British Dictionary definitions for telson

telson

/ (ˈtɛlsən) /

noun

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

Derived forms of telson

telsonic (tɛlˈsɒnɪk), adjective

Word Origin for telson

C19: from Greek: a boundary; probably related to telos end

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