prehensile Hear it!

prehensile Definition

pre·hen·sile (prē hen′səl; chiefly Brit, -sīl′)

adjective

adapted for seizing or grasping, esp. by wrapping or folding around something, as the tail of certain monkeys

Etymology: Fr préhensile < L prehensus, pp. of prehendere, to take < prae-, pre- + IE base *ghend-, *ghed-, to grasp > get

prehensile Related Forms
pre′·hen·sil′·ity (prē′hen sil′ə tē) noun
prehensile Usage Examples

Modifies a noun

  • tail: Prehensile tails are found on animals which live mainly in forested areas.
  • toe: In terms of having particularly prehensile toes, however, this is an attribute I inherited from my father.
  • lip: The data does not support the presence of a prehensile lip.
  • tongue: Giraffes have extremely long prehensile tongues, measuring well over 30cm.
  • organ: Most of the Montessori emphasis on art comes from the development of the hand, the " prehensile organ of the mind " .
  • trunk: They have almost hairless skin, a distinctive long, flexible, prehensile trunk.