Illustration of proboscis
- P proboscis 2
proboscis
noun
pro·bos·cis prə-ˈbä-səs 
-ˈbä-skəs
-ˈbä-skəs plural proboscises also proboscides prə-ˈbä-sə-ˌdēz
1
a
: the trunk of an elephant
also : any long flexible snout
b
: the human nose especially when prominent
2
: any of various elongated or extensible tubular processes (such as the sucking organ of a butterfly) of the oral region of an invertebrate
Synonyms
- beak
- conk [chiefly British slang]
- honker [slang]
- neb
- nose
- nozzle [slang]
- schnoz [slang]
- schnozz
- schnozzle [slang]
- smeller
- snoot
- snout
See all Synonyms & Antonyms 
Example Sentences
if there were a direct relation between mendacity and the length of one's proboscis, hers would be a mile long
Recent Examples on the Web During the feeding process, the female mosquito uses a mouthpart called the proboscis—which is also used to feed on flowers—to pierce the skin and feed on the blood. 
Eleesha Lockett, SELF, 8 June 2022 And Peter Dinklage, who starred in that musical’s 2019 Off Broadway production, superbly reprises his role here, giving us a Cyrano who is widely mocked not for an oversized proboscis but rather for a diminutive physique. Los Angeles Times, 24 Feb. 2022 This 1996 Daihatsu with its googly eyes and big spare-tire proboscis is a recent import to the U.S. Elana Scherr, Car and Driver, 17 Feb. 2022 Nienaber walked it over to a plant, and the monarch soon unfurled its proboscis into a flower, drawing nectar. Rohan Preston, Star Tribune, 22 Jan. 2021 The proboscis is a Swiss Army knife appendage of six separate instruments that facilitate blood collection. Leslie Nemo, Scientific American, 8 Jan. 2021 Researchers have interpreted a nearby red figure as an insect—possibly a hawk moth, known to become intoxicated on datura nectar drawn through its long proboscis—perhaps here a symbolic stand-in for the datura-taker. Megan Gannon, National Geographic, 23 Nov. 2020 To initiate feeding, the first pump opens to lower the pressure and draw the blood up into the proboscis. Popular Science, 20 Oct. 2020 The system looks for the female’s distinct proboscis or mouth, antenna and other anatomical clues, flagging it for removal. Jon Emont, WSJ, 6 Sep. 2020 See More
Eleesha Lockett, SELF, 8 June 2022 And Peter Dinklage, who starred in that musical’s 2019 Off Broadway production, superbly reprises his role here, giving us a Cyrano who is widely mocked not for an oversized proboscis but rather for a diminutive physique. Los Angeles Times, 24 Feb. 2022 This 1996 Daihatsu with its googly eyes and big spare-tire proboscis is a recent import to the U.S. Elana Scherr, Car and Driver, 17 Feb. 2022 Nienaber walked it over to a plant, and the monarch soon unfurled its proboscis into a flower, drawing nectar. Rohan Preston, Star Tribune, 22 Jan. 2021 The proboscis is a Swiss Army knife appendage of six separate instruments that facilitate blood collection. Leslie Nemo, Scientific American, 8 Jan. 2021 Researchers have interpreted a nearby red figure as an insect—possibly a hawk moth, known to become intoxicated on datura nectar drawn through its long proboscis—perhaps here a symbolic stand-in for the datura-taker. Megan Gannon, National Geographic, 23 Nov. 2020 To initiate feeding, the first pump opens to lower the pressure and draw the blood up into the proboscis. Popular Science, 20 Oct. 2020 The system looks for the female’s distinct proboscis or mouth, antenna and other anatomical clues, flagging it for removal. Jon Emont, WSJ, 6 Sep. 2020 See More Word History
Etymology
Latin, from Greek proboskis, from pro- + boskein to feed
First Known Use
1601, in the meaning defined at sense 1a
Phrases Containing proboscis
Kids Definition
proboscis
noun
pro·bos·cis prə-ˈbä-səs
-ˈbäs-kəs
: a long flexible hollow body part (as the trunk of an elephant)
Medical Definition
proboscis
noun
pro·bos·cis prə-ˈbäs-əs -kəs
-kəs plural proboscises also proboscides -ˈbäs-ə-ˌdēz
: any of various elongated or extensible tubular organs or processes especially of the oral region of an invertebrate: as
a
: a sucking organ of insects (as houseflies or mosquitoes) that is often also adapted for piercing
b
: one of the complex protrusible holdfasts on the scolex of certain tapeworms
proboscises
noun
variants also proboscides
as in snouts
the part of the face bearing the nostrils and nasal cavity if there were a direct relation between mendacity and the length of one's proboscis, hers would be a mile long Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
- snouts
- noses
- nozzles
- beaks
- smellers
- schnozzles
- honkers
- conks
- schnozzes
- snoots
- schnozzolas
- nebs
- pugs
- pugnoses
