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che·la

(kelə)

n.pl. che·lae(-le)

A pincerlike claw of a crustacean or arachnid, such as a lobster, crab, or scorpion.

[New Latinchela, fromGreekkhele, claw.]

(click for a larger image)

chela

chelae of a Murray River crayfish

Euastacus armatus

Indo-European & Semitic Roots Appendices

Thousands of entries in the dictionary include etymologies that trace their origins back to reconstructed proto-languages. You can obtain more information about these forms in our online appendices:

Indo-European Roots

Semitic Roots

The Indo-European appendix covers nearly half of the Indo-European roots that have left their mark on English words. A more complete treatment of Indo-European roots and the English words derived from them is available in our Dictionary of Indo-European Roots.

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