tentacle
[ ten-tuh-kuh l ]
/ ˈtɛn tə kəl /
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.
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/, adjective ten·ta·cle·like, ten·tac·u·loid, adjective in·ter·ten·tac·u·lar, adjective sub·ten·tac·u·lar, adjectiveWords nearby tentacle
tent fly,
tent meeting,
tent show,
tent stitch,
tent trailer,
tentacle,
tentacled,
tentage,
tentation,
tentative,
tented
Example sentences from the Web for tentacular
British Dictionary definitions for tentacular
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, adjective tentacle-like or tentaculoid (tɛnˈtækjʊˌlɔɪd), adjective tentacular (tɛnˈtækjʊlə), adjectiveWord Origin for tentacle
C18: from New Latin
tentāculum, from Latin
tentāre, variant of
temptāre to feel
Medical definitions for tentacular
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.
Scientific definitions for tentacular
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.