nonprehensile

Thân thiện

The monkey's nonprehensile tail cannot grasp branches.

Definition

Adjective: - Not adapted for seizing, grasping, or holding: Describes a body part, typically a limb or tail, that is not capable of or designed for wrapping around and gripping objects firmly.

Usage

The adjective "nonprehensile" is used specifically in biological and anatomical contexts to describe appendages that lack the grasping function of prehensile ones. It is the direct antonym of "prehensile."

Examples

• Adjective:
  • Humans have nonprehensile feet, unlike many primates which have prehensile feet for climbing.
  • The horse's tail is long and flowing but nonprehensile; it cannot be used to hold objects.
  • A comparison between a monkey's prehensile tail and a cat's nonprehensile tail highlights different evolutionary adaptations.

Advanced Usage

• Technical/Anatomical Description: Used in zoology, comparative anatomy, and evolutionary biology to classify and describe functional morphology.
  • The study focused on the skeletal structure of nonprehensile forelimbs in ungulates.

Variants and Related Words

• Prehensile (adj): Adapted for seizing, grasping, or holding, especially by wrapping around. (Direct antonym)
  • A prehensile tail is a fifth limb for some New World monkeys.

Synonyms

• Non-grasping
• Non-holding

Antonyms

• Prehensile
• Grasping

Học thuật

Adjective

1. not prehensile