palp

1 of 2

verb

palped; palping; palps

palp

2 of 2

noun

: palpus

Examples of palp in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Noun
The male dies immediately after transferring its sperm packet to the female with its palp, a segmented appendage that is used in feeding and copulation; the insertion causes the male's heartbeat to stop almost instantly. Discover Magazine, 29 June 2010 As a mosquito buzzes toward a potential victim, its nose takes over — or, rather, its maxillary palp, an organ with receptors that help it home in on carbon dioxide from as far as 150 feet away. Cody Cottier, Discover Magazine, 19 July 2019 The dead male's palp, which remains in an inflated state and is therefore difficult to remove, acts as a mating plug, preventing rivals from copulating with the female. Discover Magazine, 29 June 2010

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'palp.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Verb

Middle French palper, from Latin palpare

Noun

New Latin palpus

First Known Use

Verb

1534, in the meaning defined above

Noun

1842, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of palp was in 1534

Dictionary Entries Near palp

Cite this Entry

“Palp.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/palp. Accessed 29 Mar. 2024.

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