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pre·hen·sile

(prē-hĕnsəl, -sīl′)

adj.

1. Able to seize, grasp, or hold, especially by wrapping around an object: a monkey's prehensile tail.

2. Having a keen intellect or powerful memory: a prehensile mind.

[French préhensile, from Latin prehēnsus, past participle of prehendere, to grasp; see ghend- in the Appendix of Indo-European roots.]

pre′hen·sili·ty (-sĭlĭ-tē) n.

(click for a larger image)

prehensile

prehensile tail of an opossum

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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