pedipalp
noun
ped·i·palp
ˈpe-də-ˌpalp 
: either of the second pair of appendages of various arthropods (such as an arachnid or horseshoe crab) that lie on each side of the mouth and often perform a specialized function (such as grasping or feeling)
Note: Pedipalps are typically small and leglike in spiders, and large and pincerlike in scorpions.
Examples of pedipalp in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
The set includes Aragog with poseable legs, fangs, and pedipalps, as well as baby spiders, accessories, and minifigures of the two characters with faces that can change from happy to scared.
—
Mia Huelsbeck, People.com, 18 Dec. 2024
Once mating commences, the male spider uses his pedipalps (specialized legs) to transfer sperm to the female.
—Jake Parks, Discover Magazine, 14 Oct. 2024
In what appears to be a dream, a creepy-crawly form is seen moving under the skin of Jakub’s face, its pedipalps first making an abortive attempt to exit via his nostrils before a sizeable spider emerges from his mouth.
—David Rooney, The Hollywood Reporter, 21 Feb. 2024
The actual mating is a cautious affair, involving the male inserting his pedipalps into the female’s reproductive openings to deliver the sperm.
—Jake Parks, Discover Magazine, 13 Feb. 2024
Using a specialized appendage near his mouth called a pedipalp, the male spider reached forward and carefully slid a packet of sperm into the female’s abdominal cavity.
—Katie Weeman, Scientific American, 29 Sep. 2023
Some spiders even use part of the pedipalp, a bit just under the palpal bulb at the tip, to make music (stridulate) as part of a courtship ritual.
—Emily Willingham, Wired, 22 Sep. 2020
But as the male dismounts, the pedipalp grasps and twists the scapus, snipping it off as if with scissors.
—National Geographic, 14 Feb. 2017
Male orb weavers of the Argiope genus die upon inserting that second pedipalp.
—Liz Langley, National Geographic, 25 Feb. 2017
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Mia Huelsbeck, People.com, 18 Dec. 2024
Once mating commences, the male spider uses his pedipalps (specialized legs) to transfer sperm to the female.
—Jake Parks, Discover Magazine, 14 Oct. 2024
In what appears to be a dream, a creepy-crawly form is seen moving under the skin of Jakub’s face, its pedipalps first making an abortive attempt to exit via his nostrils before a sizeable spider emerges from his mouth.
—David Rooney, The Hollywood Reporter, 21 Feb. 2024
The actual mating is a cautious affair, involving the male inserting his pedipalps into the female’s reproductive openings to deliver the sperm.
—Jake Parks, Discover Magazine, 13 Feb. 2024
Using a specialized appendage near his mouth called a pedipalp, the male spider reached forward and carefully slid a packet of sperm into the female’s abdominal cavity.
—Katie Weeman, Scientific American, 29 Sep. 2023
Some spiders even use part of the pedipalp, a bit just under the palpal bulb at the tip, to make music (stridulate) as part of a courtship ritual.
—Emily Willingham, Wired, 22 Sep. 2020
But as the male dismounts, the pedipalp grasps and twists the scapus, snipping it off as if with scissors.
—National Geographic, 14 Feb. 2017
Male orb weavers of the Argiope genus die upon inserting that second pedipalp.
—Liz Langley, National Geographic, 25 Feb. 2017
Cite this Entry
“Pedipalp.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/pedipalp. Accessed 4 Jul. 2025.
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