amplexus

noun

am·plex·us am-ˈplek-səs

: the mating embrace of some amphibians (such as frogs and toads) in which the male typically takes a position on the back of the female and tightly grasps onto the female with his front legs

Frogs mate in a position called amplexus, with the smaller male clasping the female from behind in a ride that can last two days or more. As she lays eggs, he expels sperm to fertilize them.—

Mel White

Examples of amplexus in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

There have been a lot of reports of misdirected amplexus in super-degraded habitats, and many of them have occurred in recent years. —

Katherine J. Wu, The Atlantic, 17 May 2022 Most species practice amplexus in some form, and there are many unique ways of carrying it out. —

Katherine J. Wu, The Atlantic, 14 Mar. 2022

Word History

Etymology

borrowed from Latin, "embrace," from amplectere "to embrace" (from am-, assimilated variant of amb- "around, about" + plectere "to plait, twine") + -tus, suffix of action nouns — more at ambient entry 1, ply entry 3

First Known Use

1900, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler

The first known use of amplexus was in 1900

See more words from the same year