proboscis

3 definitions found

proboscis - Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48 :

  Proboscis \Pro*bos"cis\, n.; pl. Proboscides. [L. fr. Gr. ?; ?
     before + ? to feed, graze.]
     1. (Zool.) 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.
        [1913 Webster]
  
     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.
           [1913 Webster]
  
     2. (Zool.) By extension, applied to various tubelike mouth
        organs of the lower animals that can be everted or
        protruded.
        [1913 Webster]
  
     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.
           [1913 Webster]
  
     3. The nose. [Jocose]
        [1913 Webster]
  
     Proboscis monkey. (Zool.) See Kahau.
        [1913 Webster]

proboscis - WordNet (r) 2.1 (2005) :

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

proboscis - Moby Thesaurus II by Grady Ward, 1.0 :

  23 Moby Thesaurus words for "proboscis":
     antlia, beak, beezer, bill, bugle, conk, muffle, muzzle, nares,
     neb, nib, nose, nostrils, nozzle, olfactory organ, pecker,
     rhinarium, rostrum, schnozzle, smeller, snoot, snout, trunk