proboscis
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proboscis
- /pɹə(ʊ)ˈbɒs(k)ɪs/ UK
- /pɹoʊˈbɑs(k)ɪs/ US, dialectal
- /pɹoʊˈbɒs(k)ɪs/ Canada, dialectal
- /pɹəʉˈbɔs(k)ɪs/ Australia
- /pɹɐʉˈbɒs(k)əs/ New Zealand
- [pɹɐʉˈbɔ̟s(k)əs] New Zealand
Where it comes from
From Latin proboscis, from Ancient Greek προβοσκίς (proboskís, “elephant's trunk”) literally "means for taking food," from προ- (pro-, “before”) + βόσκω (bóskō, “to nourish, feed”), from the Proto-Indo-European root *gʷeh₃- from which also comes βοτάνη (botánē, “grass, fodder”).
noun proboscises · proboscides · probosces
- An elongated tube from the head or connected to the mouth, of an animal. Don Caldwell, editor-in-chief of the site Know Your Meme, namechecks Brr Brr Patapim, “a proboscis monkey that is also a tree”, as one who made it to YouTube.
- The tubular feeding and sucking organ of certain invertebrates like insects, worms and molluscs. Unlike the proboscides of Lower brachyceran lineages, which are continuous with the head capsule and tend to dangle (Matsuda 1965), the proboscides of most cyclorrhaphan species are suspended by a membranous region and divided into three functional parts: the basiproboscis (rostrum), medioproboscis
- The trunk of an elephant.
- A large or lengthy human nose.
Translations
Every language
noun elongated tube
| Español | probóscide |
|---|---|
| 日本語 | 吻 fun |
| 中文 | 長鼻 /长鼻 chángbí, 吻 wěn, 象鼻 xiàngbí |
| Português | probóscide, probóscida |
| Français | trompe, proboscide |
| Deutsch | Rüssel |
| Italiano | proboscide |
| Română | proboscidă |
| Русский | хобото́к xobotók, хо́бот xóbot |
| العربية | خُرْطُوم ḵurṭūm |
| עברית | חֵדֶק ḥédeq |
Talk about this word "proboscis." Wiktionary, via Micwyn, micwyn.com/word/proboscis. Accessed 6 Nov. 2026. proboscis. (n.d.). In Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Retrieved November 6, 2026, from https://micwyn.com/word/proboscis "proboscis." Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Accessed November 6, 2026. https://micwyn.com/word/proboscis.Cite this
@misc{proboscis_2026,
title = {proboscis},
howpublished = {Wiktionary, via Micwyn},
year = {2026},
url = {https://micwyn.com/word/proboscis},
urldate = {2026-11-06}
}
