tentacle

• POS: Noun
• HYPHEN: ten=ta=cle

CIDE DICTIONARY

tentacle, n. [NL. tentaculum, from L. tentare to handle, feel: cf. F. tentacule. See Tempt.].

 A more or less elongated process or organ, simple or branched, proceeding from the head or cephalic region of invertebrate animals, being either an organ of sense, prehension, or motion.  [1913 Webster]

Tentacle sheath (Zoöl.), a sheathlike structure around the base of the tentacles of many mollusks.

OXFORD DICTIONARY

tentacle, n.
1 a long slender flexible appendage of an (esp. invertebrate) animal, used for feeling, grasping, or moving.
2 a thing used like a tentacle as a feeler etc.
3 Bot. a sensitive hair or filament.

Derivative

tentacled adj. (also in comb.). tentacular adj. tentaculate adj.

Etymology

mod.L tentaculum f. L tentare = temptare (see TEMPT) + -culum -CULE

ROGET THESAURUS

tentacle

Retention

N retention, retaining, keep, detention, custody, tenacity, firm hold, grasp, gripe, grip, iron grip, fangs, teeth, claws, talons, nail, unguis, hook, tentacle, tenaculum, bond, clutches, tongs, forceps, pincers, nippers, pliers, vice, paw, hand, finger, wrist, fist, neaf, neif, bird in hand, captive, retaining, retentive, tenacious, unforfeited, undeprived, undisposed, uncommunicated, incommunicable, inalienable, in mortmain, in strict settlement, uti possidetis.