prehensile

Everyday

(science) Prehensile means able to grip, hold or wrap around things, used about a body part such as a tail, foot, trunk or lip. tree →

In the lessons

In science lessons about animal adaptations, a prehensile tail lets monkeys, possums, chameleons and seahorses hang on to branches or plants. An elephant's trunk and a giraffe's tongue are prehensile too. Human hands, with their thumbs, are said to be prehensile.

Examples

• Spider monkeys have prehensile tails that can hold branches. tree →
• A seahorse wraps its prehensile tail around seaweed. tree →
• A chameleon uses its prehensile tail like an extra hand. tree →
• An elephant's trunk is prehensile; it can pick up a single peanut. tree →
• The possum hung from the tree by its prehensile tail. tree →
• A giraffe's long prehensile tongue pulls leaves off branches. tree →
• Our thumbs make our hands prehensile. tree →

Note

Say "pree-HEN-sile". From Latin "prehendere", to grasp (like "comprehend"). Myth trap: not all monkeys have prehensile tails — most monkeys from Africa and Asia do not; many from South and Central America do.