proboscis worm
- noun
- /prəˈbɑsɪs wɜrm/
- Specialized
:
gusano probóscide
- The proboscis worm can extend its long proboscis to capture prey hidden in the sand.
Examples
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The proboscis worm is known for its remarkable ability to stretch many times its own body length.
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Many proboscis worms inhabit the ocean floor.
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Marine biologists discovered a new species of proboscis worm near the coral reef.
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The proboscis worm is fascinating to study.
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Marine biologists discovered a new species of proboscis worm near the coral reef.
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The proboscis worm can extend its long proboscis to capture prey hidden in the sand.
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The proboscis worm is known for its remarkable ability to stretch many times its own body length.
Synonyms
1
9.9
A soft sea worm with no body sections and a long feeding tube that can stretch
A long soft sea animal that can stretch and reach prey with a thin mouth tube
A soft sea worm with a long tube that can stretch to catch food
A group of mostly sea worms with long bodies and a tube for feeding
A long thin sea worm like a ribbon that uses a tube-like mouth to catch small animals
A group of mostly sea worms with long bodies and a soft arm they can push out
Surface Forms
Morphology
The noun phrase refers to a worm that has a proboscis, so the meaning is directly and compositionally derived from 'proboscis' (an extended feeding snout) + 'worm'. This straightforward descriptive compounding follows normal English noun-modifier patterns (and similar patterns cross-linguistically), so a learner who knows both constituents can infer the meaning.
Etymology
Proboscis worm names a soft worm with a long, nose-like tube called a proboscis. The worm can stretch this tube to 'catch food' hidden in the sand, so the name describes how it feeds.