Definify.com
Webster 1913 Edition
Proboscis
Pro-bos′cis
,Noun.
pl.
Proboscides
(#)
. [L. fr. Gr. [GREEK]; [GREEK] before + [GREEK] to feed, graze.]
1.
(Zool.)
A hollow organ or tube attached to the head, or connected with the mouth, of various animals, and generally used in taking food or drink; a snout; a trunk.
☞ The proboscis of an elephant is a flexible muscular elongation of the nose. The proboscis of insects is usually a chitinous tube formed by the modified maxillæ, or by the labium. See Illusts. of
Hemiptera
and Lepidoptera
. 2.
(Zool.)
By extension, applied to various tubelike mouth organs of the lower animals that can be everted or protruded.
☞ The proboscis of annelids and of mollusks is usually a portion of the pharynx that can be everted or protruded. That of nemerteans is a special long internal organ, not connected with the mouth, and not used in feeding, but capable of being protruded from a pore in the head. See Illust. in Appendix.
Webster 1828 Edition
Proboscis
PROBOS'CIS
,Noun.
The snout or trunk of an elephant and of other animals, particularly of insects. The proboscis of an elephant is a flexible muscular pipe or canal of about 8 feet in length, and is properly the extension of the nose. This is the instrument with which he takes food and carries it to his mouth. The proboscis of insects is used to suck blood from animals, or juice from plants.
Definition 2024
proboscis
proboscis
English
Noun
proboscis (plural proboscises or proboscides)
- (anatomy) An elongated tube from the head or connected to the mouth, of an animal.
- (entomology, malacology) The tubular feeding and sucking organ of certain invertebrates like insects, worms and molluscs.
- 2012, Brian Wiegmann, The Evolutionary Biology of Flies, page 225:
- Unlike the proboscides of Lower brachyceran lineages, which are continuous with the head capsule and tend to dangle (Matsuda 1965), the proboscides of most cyclorrhaphan species are suspended by a membranous region and divided into three functional parts: the basiproboscis (rostrum), medioproboscis (haustellum), and distiproboscis (labellum), each of which is defined by internal muscles but also shares muscles with the other regions (Graham-Smith 1930; Lall and Davies 1971).
-
- The trunk of an elephant.
- (entomology, malacology) The tubular feeding and sucking organ of certain invertebrates like insects, worms and molluscs.
- (informal, mildly humorous) A large or lengthy human nose.
Derived terms
- proboscis monkey
Translations
elongated tube
|
slang: a nose — see schnozzle