Adjacent Words

Proboscis definitions

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Webster's 1828 Dictionary

PROBOS'CIS, n. [L. from Gr. before, and to feed or graze.]
The snout or trunk of an elephant and of other animals, particularly of insects. The proboscis of an elephant is a flexible muscular pipe or canal of about 8 feet in length, and is properly the extension of the nose. This is the instrument with which he takes food and carries it to his mouth. The proboscis of insects is used to suck blood from animals, or juice from plants.

WordNet (r) 3.0 (2005)

n
1: the human nose (especially when it is large)
2: a long flexible snout as of an elephant [syn: proboscis, trunk]

Merriam Webster's

noun (plural -boscises; also proboscides) Etymology: Latin, from Greek proboskis, from pro- + boskein to feed Date: 1609 1. a. the trunk of an elephant; also any long flexible snout b. the human nose especially when prominent 2. any of various elongated or extensible tubular processes (as the sucking organ of a butterfly) of the oral region of an invertebrate

Oxford Reference Dictionary

n. 1 the long flexible trunk or snout of some mammals, e.g. an elephant or tapir. 2 the elongated mouth parts of some insects. 3 the sucking organ in some worms. 4 joc. the human nose. Phrases and idioms: proboscis monkey a monkey, Nasalis larvatus, native to Borneo, the male of which has a large pendulous nose. Derivatives: proboscidiferous adj. proboscidiform adj. Etymology: L proboscis -cidis f. Gk proboskis f. probosko (as PRO-(2), bosko feed)

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Proboscis Pro*bos"cis, n.; pl. Proboscides. [L. fr. Gr. ?; ? before + ? to feed, graze.] 1. (Zo["o]l.) A hollow organ or tube attached to the head, or connected with the mouth, of various animals, and generally used in taking food or drink; a snout; a trunk. Note: The proboscis of an elephant is a flexible muscular elongation of the nose. The proboscis of insects is usually a chitinous tube formed by the modified maxill[ae], or by the labium. See Illusts. of Hemiptera and Lepidoptera. 2. (Zo["o]l.) By extension, applied to various tubelike mouth organs of the lower animals that can be everted or protruded. Note: The proboscis of annelids and of mollusks is usually a portion of the pharynx that can be everted or protruded. That of nemerteans is a special long internal organ, not connected with the mouth, and not used in feeding, but capable of being protruded from a pore in the head. See Illust. in Appendix. 3. The nose. [Jocose] Proboscis monkey. (Zo["o]l.) See Kahau.

Soule's Dictionary of English Synonyms

n. Snout, trunk.

Moby Thesaurus

antlia, beak, beezer, bill, bugle, conk, muffle, muzzle, nares, neb, nib, nose, nostrils, nozzle, olfactory organ, pecker, rhinarium, rostrum, schnozzle, smeller, snoot, snout, trunk