English

Noun

palp ‎(plural palps)

1. (zoology) A pedipalp, an appendage found near the mouth in invertebrates; has a variety of functions but is often primarily used for predating.
2. A fleshy part of a fingertip.
   • 1922, James Joyce, Ulysses:

     He folded his razor neatly and with stroking palps of fingers felt the smooth skin.

   • 1964, K. B. Gilden, Hurry Sundown

     The palps of her fingers itched, thickened, erected with the need to touch the bent head. Plunge into the dust-moted rough blackness of his hair, smooth back downward over the deep-brown nape of his neck.

   • 1984, W. Boyd, Stars & Bars i.i.11:

     With the palp of a forefinger he squeezed moisture from his wiry blond eyebrows.

   • 1998, Renny Christopher, Linda Strom, Lisa Orr, Working Class Studies: 1 & 2, Feminist Press at CUNY (ISBN 9781558611917), page 165

     When Mariuchi caresses the plant, for example, sensuously emitting from the palps of her fingers, a siren song.

   • 2008, John Gardner, Mickelsson's Ghosts, New Directions Publishing (ISBN 9780811216791), page 130

     He tested the blade against the palp of his thumb, then returned to the living room and decisively, scrape by scrape, cut away the hex sign, leaving a halo of ragged wood.

   • 2012, Sean Stewart, Star Wars: Dark Rendezvous, Random House (ISBN 9781448164165)

     The bag seethed in her hand, not unpleasantly, as computational monofilaments shifted and flowed under her touch until they cradled the palps of her fingers.

Synonyms

• (appendage): pedipalp

Translations

Verb

palp ‎(third-person singular simple present palps, present participle palping, simple past and past participle palped)

1. To feel, to explore by touch.
   • 1982, Lawrence Durrell, Constance, Faber & Faber 2004 (Avignon Quintet), p. 729:

     It is not possible to examine a male patient without making him undress and actually palping him all over.

Translations

Related terms

• palpability
• palpable
• palpate
• palpation
• palpiform
• palpitate
• palpitation

Anagrams

• Lapp