prehensile

[ pri-hen-sil, -sahyl ]

adjective

1. adapted for seizing, grasping, or taking hold of something:

   a prehensile tail.

2. able to perceive quickly; having keen mental grasp.
3. greedy; grasping; avaricious.

prehensile

/ prɪˈhɛnsaɪl; ˌpriːhɛnˈsɪlɪtɪ /

adjective

1. adapted for grasping, esp by wrapping around a support

   a prehensile tail

prehensile

/ prē-hĕn′səl /

1. 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.

Derived Forms

• prehensility, noun

Other Words From

• pre·hen·sil·i·ty [pree-hen-, sil, -i-tee], noun
• nonpre·hensile adjective
• subpre·hensile adjective
• subpre·hen·sili·ty noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of prehensile¹

1781–85; < French préhensile (coined by Buffon), equivalent to Latin prehens ( us ) ( prehension ) + French -ile -ile

Word History and Origins

Origin of prehensile¹

C18: from French préhensile, from Latin prehendere to grasp

Example Sentences

Many also have long, prehensile tails capable of bearing their weight, which they use while climbing and reaching for fruit.

From Science Daily

Nor is it necessarily true that older political leaders invariably hang on to their seats as if with what Orwell called prehensile behinds.

From Los Angeles Times

The Brazil nuts they had been counting on to sustain them were in short supply, and the piglike tapir, with its prehensile snout, was elusive.

From Literature

With their prehensile lips — they are distantly related to elephants — they grabbed the lettuce and nibbled.

From Seattle Times

The genus name comes from the Greek for “prehensile foot,” which the scientists chose because this is the oldest known cephalopod with suckers.

From Science Magazine

Related Words

• eager
• hungry
• impatient
• rapacious
• selfish