proboscis
noun/prəˈbɒsɪs/
/prəʊˈbɑːsɪs/, /prəʊˈbɑːskɪs/
(plural probosces
(specialist)/prəˈbɒsiːz/
/prəʊˈbɑːsiːz/, /prəʊˈbɑːskiːz/
, proboscises)- the long flexible nose of some animals, such as an elephant
Want to learn more?
Find out which words work together and produce more natural sounding English with the Oxford Collocations Dictionary app.
- the long thin mouth, like a tube, of some insects
- (humorous) a large human nose
Word Originearly 17th cent.: via Latin from Greek proboskis ‘means of obtaining food’, from pro ‘before’ + boskein ‘(cause to) feed’.
Check pronunciation:
proboscis