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.

Example Sentences

Recent Examples on the Web

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

Word History

Etymology

New Latin pedipalpus, from ped-, pes foot + palpus palpus

First Known Use

1826, in the meaning defined above