prehensile

adjective

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pre·hen·sile | \ prē-ˈhen(t)-səl

, -ˈhen-ˌsī(-ə)l \

Definition of prehensile

1 : adapted for seizing or grasping especially by wrapping around prehensile tail

2 : gifted with mental grasp or moral or aesthetic perception

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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 1780s 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 Although Hollywood tends to focus on their teeth, grizzlies have prehensile lips that are perfect for stripping berries off branches, and their claws are ideal for digging up roots and turning over rocks to look for insects. — Brent Crane, Discover Magazine, "Grizzly Bears Might Return to California. Is the State Ready?," 12 Mar. 2019 The partially prehensile proboscis helps the species probe the ground for leaves and fallen fruit. — Bradley J. Fikes, sandiegouniontribune.com, "For the Fourth, bring out the (San Diego Zoo) babies!," 3 July 2018 The cuscus hangs on by its fingertips—or its curling, prehensile tail. — The Economist, "Asia’s appetite for endangered species is relentless," 19 Apr. 2018 In a woodblock, once In an early-Netherlandish world, He is shown with a crocodile, a unicorn, and a wobbly man With a tail and prehensile feet. — Connie Bruck, The New Yorker, "Giraffe," 14 Mar. 2018 Correction: A previous version of this article state New World monkeys lack prehensile tails. — Sarah Gibbens, National Geographic, "Mysterious Amazon Animal Seen Alive for First Time in 80 Years," 25 Aug. 2017

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'prehensile.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

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Cite this Entry

“Prehensile.” The Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster Inc., https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/prehensile. Accessed 20 January 2020.

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More Definitions for prehensile

prehensile

adjective