Proboscis
[prə'bɒsɪs] or [pro'bɑsɪs]
Definition
(noun.) a long flexible snout as of an elephant.
(noun.) the human nose (especially when it is large).
Edited by Clio--From WordNet
Definition
(n.) 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.
(n.) By extension, applied to various tubelike mouth organs of the lower animals that can be everted or protruded.
(n.) The nose.
Editor: Ryan
Synonyms and Synonymous
n. Snout, trunk.
Typist: Ursula
Definition
n. the trunk of some animals as the elephant for conveying food to the mouth: anything like a trunk:—pl. Probos′cides.—adjs. Probos′cidāte; Proboscid′ean having a proboscis.—n. a mammal of the Proboscidea.—n. Probos′cis-monk′ey a monkey of Borneo having a long mobile and retractile nose.
Typed by Jennifer
Unserious Contents or Definition
n. The rudimentary organ of an elephant which serves him in place of the knife-and-fork that Evolution has as yet denied him. For purposes of humor it is popularly called a trunk.
Typist: Vern
Examples
- We can, however, see in a general manner that various causes might have interfered with the development of a long neck or proboscis. Charles Darwin. On the Origin of Species by Means of Natural Selection.
- Or, again, why has not any member of the group acquired a long proboscis? Charles Darwin. On the Origin of Species by Means of Natural Selection.
Edited by Debra