tentacle
[ ten-tuh-kuhl ]
/ ˈtɛn tə kəl /
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noun
Zoology. any of various slender, flexible processes or appendages in animals, especially invertebrates, that serve as organs of touch, prehension, etc.; feeler.
Botany. a sensitive filament or process, as one of the glandular hairs of the sundew.
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Origin of tentacle
1755–65; <New Latin tentāculum, equivalent to Latin tentā(re) (variant of temptāre to feel, probe) + -culum-cule2
OTHER WORDS FROM tentacle
ten·tac·u·lar [ten-tak-yuh-ler], /tɛnˈtæk yə lər/, adjectiveten·ta·cle·like, ten·tac·u·loid, adjectivein·ter·ten·tac·u·lar, adjectivesub·ten·tac·u·lar, adjectiveDictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2021
Example sentences from the Web for tentacle
British Dictionary definitions for tentacle
tentacle
/ (ˈtɛntəkəl) /
noun
any of various elongated flexible organs that occur near the mouth in many invertebrates and are used for feeding, grasping, etc
any of the hairs on the leaf of an insectivorous plant that are used to capture prey
something resembling a tentacle, esp in its ability to reach out or grasp
Derived forms of tentacle
tentacled, adjectivetentacle-like or tentaculoid (tɛnˈtækjʊˌlɔɪd), adjectivetentacular (tɛnˈtækjʊlə), adjectiveWord Origin for tentacle
C18: from New Latin tentāculum, from Latin tentāre, variant of temptāre to feel
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition
© William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
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Medical definitions for tentacle
tentacle
[ tĕn′tə-kəl ]
n.
An elongated, flexible, unsegmented extension, as one of those surrounding the mouth or oral cavity of the squid, used for feeling, grasping, or locomotion.
The American Heritage® Stedman's Medical Dictionary
Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Scientific definitions for tentacle
tentacle
[ tĕn′tə-kəl ]
A narrow, flexible, unjointed part extending from the body of certain animals, such as an octopus, jellyfish, or sea anemone. Tentacles are used for feeling, grasping, or moving.
The American Heritage® Science Dictionary
Copyright © 2011. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.