caudal appendage
- noun
- /ˈkɔːdəl əˈpɛndɪdʒ/
- Specialized
- The horse's caudal appendage swished as it tried to brush away flies.
Examples
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Veterinarians examined the injury at the base of the cat's caudal appendage.
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The cat's caudal appendage swished back and forth.
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Many vertebrates possess a caudal appendage that aids in balance and movement.
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Many mammals have a long caudal appendage for balance.
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Many vertebrates possess a caudal appendage that aids in balance and movement.
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The horse's caudal appendage swished as it tried to brush away flies.
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Veterinarians examined the injury at the base of the cat's caudal appendage.
Synonyms
A tail-like part of an animal or person that helps balance and movement
How Long
Surface Forms
Morphology
The meaning is directly compositional: 'caudal' means related to the tail/rear and 'appendage' means a limb or projection, so together they denote a tail-like projection. Although somewhat formal/technical, the semantics follow ordinary word-combination rules and would be derivable by a learner who knows both constituents.
Etymology
Caudal appendage is a formal name for an animal's tail: caudal means 'at the back' and appendage means 'something attached'. Imagine a long part sticking out from an animal's rear that helps it move and balance, so the term simply means the 'tail'.