telson

noun

tel·​son ˈtel-sən How to pronounce telson (audio)
: the terminal segment of the body of an arthropod or segmented worm
especially : that of a crustacean forming the middle lobe of the tail

Examples of telson 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.
To arrive at this conclusion, the scientists first extracted venom from the scorpion by mild electrical stimulation to the telsons (stinger) and collected the venom through capillary tubes. Scott Travers, Forbes, 29 Feb. 2024 Its telson is both pointy and serrated: the Ginsu II of the Silurian. Gemma Tarlach, Discover Magazine, 18 Apr. 2017 It's also got something that looks like a tail but is actually called a telson — used to flip over the body, which can weigh 10 pounds. Carol Motsinger, USA TODAY, 22 Sep. 2020 Uraraneida have more primitive spinnerets and retain the telson that modern day spiders no longer have. John Wenz, Popular Mechanics, 5 Feb. 2018

Word History

Etymology

New Latin, from Greek, end of a plowed field; perhaps akin to Greek telos end

First Known Use

1855, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of telson was in 1855

Dictionary Entries Near telson

Cite this Entry

“Telson.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/telson. Accessed 23 Nov. 2024.

Medical Definition

telson

noun
tel·​son ˈtel-sən How to pronounce telson (audio)
: the terminal segment of the body of an arthropod or segmented worm

More from Merriam-Webster on telson

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!