: a male copulatory structure:
a
: one of a pair of external anal processes of an insect that are used to grasp a female
b
: one of a pair of organs that are extensions of the pelvic fins of cartilaginous fishes
Examples of clasper in a Sentence
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The presence of these claspers meant that Dr. Azar and Dr. Nel had stumbled upon a seeming impossibility: male mosquitoes with mouth parts made for bloodsucking.
—
Kate Golembiewski, New York Times, 4 Dec. 2023
Analysis on the ostracod samples, which date from the Cretaceous period, also revealed rare details of the crustacean's internal and reproductive organs, including the male clasper, sperm pumps, hemipenes, eggs and female seminal receptacles with giant sperm.
—Amy Woodyatt, CNN, 17 Sep. 2020
Male sharks internally fertilize females with one of their two sperm-transfer organs, called claspers.
—National Geographic, 27 May 2017
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Kate Golembiewski, New York Times, 4 Dec. 2023
Analysis on the ostracod samples, which date from the Cretaceous period, also revealed rare details of the crustacean's internal and reproductive organs, including the male clasper, sperm pumps, hemipenes, eggs and female seminal receptacles with giant sperm.
—Amy Woodyatt, CNN, 17 Sep. 2020
Male sharks internally fertilize females with one of their two sperm-transfer organs, called claspers.
—National Geographic, 27 May 2017
Cite this Entry
“Clasper.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/clasper. Accessed 31 Oct. 2025.
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