prehensile
adapted for seizing, grasping, or taking hold of something: a prehensile tail.
able to perceive quickly; having keen mental grasp.
greedy; grasping; avaricious.
Origin of prehensile
1Other words from prehensile
- pre·hen·sil·i·ty [pree-hen-sil-i-tee], /ˌpri hɛnˈsɪl ɪ ti/, noun
- non·pre·hen·sile, adjective
- sub·pre·hen·sile, adjective
- sub·pre·hen·sil·i·ty, noun
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024
British Dictionary definitions for prehensile
/ (prɪˈhɛnsaɪl) /
adapted for grasping, esp by wrapping around a support: a prehensile tail
Origin of prehensile
1Derived forms of prehensile
- prehensility (ˌpriːhɛnˈsɪlɪtɪ), noun
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
Scientific definitions for prehensile
[ prē-hĕn′səl ]
Adapted for seizing, grasping, or holding, especially by wrapping around an object. The feet of many birds, the tails of monkeys, and the trunks of elephants are prehensile.
The American Heritage® Science Dictionary Copyright © 2011. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
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