telson

[ tel-suhn ]

noun
  1. the last segment, or an appendage of the last segment, of certain arthropods, as the middle flipper of a lobster's tail.

Origin of telson

1
First recorded in 1850–55, telson is from the Greek word télson boundary, limit

Other words from telson

  • tel·son·ic [tel-son-ik], /tɛlˈsɒn ɪk/, adjective

Words Nearby telson

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How to use telson in a sentence

  • The appendages on the next to last segment are divided and broadly flattened, forming with the telson a powerful swimming-paddle.

    The Sea-beach at Ebb-tide | Augusta Foote Arnold
  • The sixth segment of the abdomen has a pair of biramous appendages, which, with the telson, form a swimming-fan.

    The Sea-beach at Ebb-tide | Augusta Foote Arnold
  • telson, tel′son, n. the last somite of the pleon or abdomen of certain crustaceans and arachnidans.

  • Among the last, looking about anxiously for a place to stand and watch the big race, are telson and Parson, arm-in-arm.

    The Willoughby Captains | Talbot Baines Reed
  • The cheers, of course, all round the field are tremendous, and nowhere more exciting than where telson and Parson are located.

    The Willoughby Captains | Talbot Baines Reed

British Dictionary definitions for telson

telson

/ (ˈtɛlsən) /


noun
  1. the last segment or an appendage on the last segment of the body of crustaceans and arachnids

Origin of telson

1
C19: from Greek: a boundary; probably related to telos end

Derived forms of telson

  • telsonic (tɛlˈsɒnɪk), adjective

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