| 释义 |
protractile, a. Zool.|prəʊˈtræktɪl, -aɪl|
[f. as prec. + -ile: cf. contractile.]
Capable of being lengthened out or extended.
1828Stark Elem. Nat. Hist. I. 135 Echidna... Toothless, but the palate aculeated;..tongue protractile. 1861Hulme tr. Moquin-Tandon ii. v. 268 A special organ..sometimes internal and protractile. 1878Bell Gegenbaur's Comp. Anat. 298 A narrow coiled continuation of this leads to the protractile ovipositor.
Hence protracˈtility, the quality or fact of being protractile.
1849–52Todd's Cycl. Anat. IV. 1146/2 The Chameleon presents us with the most complete protractility of the organ [the tongue]. |