prehensile

adjective

pre·​hen·​sile prē-ˈhen(t)-səl 

-ˈhen-ˌsī(-ə)l

1

: adapted for seizing or grasping especially by wrapping around

prehensile tail

2

: gifted with mental grasp or moral or aesthetic perception

prehensility

(ˌ)prē-ˌhen-ˈsi-lə-tē 

noun

Did you know?

You may be familiar with prehensile from the animal world: monkeys have prehensile tails, elephants have prehensile trunks, giraffes have prehensile tongues, etc. But can you comprehend where this word comes from? Can you apprehend its derivation? The Latin verb prehendere, meaning "to seize or grasp," is the ancestor of a number of English terms, including comprehend, apprehend, and prehensile. Prehensile came into English in the 18th century via French préhensile, from Latin prehensus, the past participle of prehendere.

Examples of prehensile in a Sentence

The monkey has a prehensile tail.

The elephant has a prehensile trunk.

Recent Examples on the Web

From here, the film briefly morphs into a kind of haunted house chiller, as Ray, Rachel, and Harlan hide from a creepily prehensile alien spy-cam. —Richard Edwards, Space.com, 29 June 2025

For the past five years, the VRChat community has been transacting on Fiverr, with creators charging over $1,000 for PC avatars equipped with features like a prehensile tail. —Charlie Fink, Forbes.com, 16 May 2025

One of the extinct taxa, a tiny tree-dweller with prehensile claws and wide furry membrane for sailing between branches, Arboroharamiya fuscus, is described and named for the first time in this new study. —Lauren Leffer, Popular Science, 13 Mar. 2025

This four-limbed snake had prehensile limbs that might have been used for grasping prey or during mating. —Scott Travers, Forbes, 10 Oct. 2024

Word History

Etymology

French préhensile, from Latin prehensus, past participle of prehendere to seize — more at get

First Known Use

circa 1785, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for prehensile

• commensal
• utensil
• intercensal
• pencil
• stencil
• tensile

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Kids Definition

prehensile

adjective

pre·​hen·​sile prē-ˈhen(t)-səl 

: capable of grasping especially by wrapping around

a prehensile tail

Medical Definition

prehensile

adjective

pre·​hen·​sile prē-ˈhen(t)-səl  -ˈhen-ˌsīl 

: adapted for seizing or grasping especially by wrapping around

prehensile tail

prehensility

(ˌ)prē-ˌhen-ˈsil-ət-ē 

noun

plural prehensilities