tentacle

[ ten-tuh-kuhl ]

noun

1. Zoology. any of various slender, flexible processes or appendages in animals, especially invertebrates, that serve as organs of touch, prehension, etc.; feeler.
2. Botany. a sensitive filament or process, as one of the glandular hairs of the sundew.

tentacle

/ tɛnˈtækjʊlə; tɛnˈtækjʊˌlɔɪd; ˈtɛntəkəl /

noun

1. any of various elongated flexible organs that occur near the mouth in many invertebrates and are used for feeding, grasping, etc
2. any of the hairs on the leaf of an insectivorous plant that are used to capture prey
3. something resembling a tentacle, esp in its ability to reach out or grasp

tentacle

/ tĕn′tə-kəl /

1. A narrow, flexible, unjointed part extending from the body of certain animals, such as an octopus, jellyfish, or sea anemone. Tentacles are used for feeling, grasping, or moving.

Derived Forms

• ˈtentacle-ˌlike, adjective
• tentacular, adjective
• ˈtentacled, adjective

Other Words From

• ten·tac·u·lar [ten-, tak, -y, uh, -ler], adjective
• tenta·cle·like ten·tacu·loid adjective
• inter·ten·tacu·lar adjective
• subten·tacu·lar adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of tentacle¹

1755–65; < New Latin tentāculum, equivalent to Latin tentā ( re ) (variant of temptāre to feel, probe) + -culum -cule ²

Word History and Origins

Origin of tentacle¹

C18: from New Latin tentāculum, from Latin tentāre, variant of temptāre to feel

Example Sentences

A future tool developed for debris removal, in the form of a robot tentacle arm, could also be used to lash out at and harm other satellites.

From Popular-Science

Oh, and also by blowing the tentacles clean off the zeppelin-sized extraterrestrials who swarm her with bullet-hell projectiles.

From Popular-Science

All 13 species have skin connecting their tentacles and ear-like fins that they flap to “fly” through the water.

From Nautilus

Its cylindrical body has a foot that adheres to a surface, and a head with tentacles and a mouth that catches and eats prey.

From Nautilus

Except for the nostrils, the inside of an elephant’s trunk is similar to an octopus’s tentacle or a mammal’s tongue, says William Kier.

From Science News For Students

Not too shabby for a creature less than a year old who had never set a tentacle on the pitch.

From The Daily Beast

He allowed himself to be led to a window where the machine with waving tentacle pointed towards an object outside.

From Project Gutenberg

A tentacle whipped up and touched Flannery, who sat with his hands off the control box.

From Project Gutenberg

Slowly, inexorably, that mottled tentacle curled downward with its prey, and a portion of the under side of the rock became alive!

From Project Gutenberg

But on three sides there were white, opaque walls, so near that he could have touched them by stretching out a tentacle.

From Project Gutenberg

At Ebors entrance he raised a limp tentacle in weary greeting and said, Come in, my friend, come in.

From Project Gutenberg