pulvillus

[ puhl-vil-uhs ]

noun,plural pul·vil·li [puhl-vil-ahy]. /pʌlˈvɪl aɪ/. Entomology.
  1. a soft, padlike structure located at the base of each claw on the feet of certain insects.

Origin of pulvillus

1
1685–95; <Latin, diminutive of pulvīnus cushion

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024

How to use pulvillus in a sentence

  • The spiracles are very small; cox unarmed; tarsi without ventral spurs, and the pulvilli are absent or rudimentary.

    Handbook of Medical Entomology | William Albert Riley
  • The spiracles are generally large, situated well behind the fourth cox; cox generally with spurs; pulvilli always present.

    Handbook of Medical Entomology | William Albert Riley

British Dictionary definitions for pulvillus

pulvillus

/ (pʌlˈvɪləs) /


nounplural -li (-laɪ)
  1. a small pad between the claws at the end of an insect's leg

Origin of pulvillus

1
C18: from Latin, from pulvīnulus, diminutive of pulvīnus cushion

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