Dictionary
Thesaurus
Encyclopedia
Translator
Web
Related Searches
Nearby Words

amplexus

 - 3 dictionary results

am⋅plex⋅us

  [am-plek-suhs]
Use amplexus in a Sentence
–noun, plural -us⋅es, -us.
the clasping posture of fertilization in frogs and toads.
Origin:
1925–30; < NL, L: embrace, equiv. to amplect(ī) to embrace (am-, var. of ambi- ambi- + plectī, deponent of plectere to plait, twine; cf. complex, plexus ) + -tus suffix of v. action
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2009.
Cite This Source Link To amplexus
am·plex·us   (ām-plěk'səs)   
n.   pl. amplexus or am·plex·us·es
The copulatory embrace of frogs and toads, during which the male fertilizes the eggs that are released by the female.

[Latin amplexus, an embracing, from past participle of amplectī, to embrace : am-, ambi-, around; see ambi- + plectere, to twine; see plek- in Indo-European roots.]
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
Copyright © 2009 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
Cite This Source
Medical Dictionary

Main Entry: am·plex·us
Pronunciation: am-'plek-s&s
Function: noun
: the mating embrace of a frog or toad during which eggs are shed intothe water and there fertilized
Merriam-Webster's Medical Dictionary, © 2002 Merriam-Webster, Inc.
Cite This Source
Search another word or see amplexus on Thesaurus | Reference
FacebookTwitterFollow us:
Partner Sites:
Ask AnswersEviteExpediaHotelsHotwireLife123LiveDailyMy Way