 | WordWeight : Weighing the Words |
| WordWeight : Weighing the Words |
Hectocotylus
Pronunciation : Hec`to*cot"y*lus
Part of Speech : n.;
Etymology : [NL., fr. Gr. (Zo?l.)
Definition : Defn: One of the arms of the male of most kinds of cephalopods, which is specially modified in various ways to effect the fertilization of the eggs. In a special sense, the greatly modified arm of Argonauta and allied genera, which, after receiving the spermatophores, becomes detached from the male, and attaches itself to the female for reproductive purposes.
pl. Hectocotyli.
Source : Webster's Unabridged Dictionary, 1913
Merriam-Webster's Everyday Language Reference Set: Includes: The Merriam-Webster Dictionary, The Merriam-Webster Thesaurus, and The Merriam-Webster Vocabulary Builder                               |