Hectocotyli

2 definitions found

From The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48 [gcide]:

  Hectocotylus \Hec`to*cot"y*lus\, n.; pl. {Hectocotyli}. [NL.,
     fr. Gr. ? a hundred + ? a hollow vessel.] (Zool.)
     One of the arms of the male of most kinds of cephalopods,
     which is specially modified in various ways to effect the
     fertilization of the eggs. In a special sense, the greatly
     modified arm of Argonauta and allied genera, which, after


     receiving the spermatophores, becomes detached from the male,
     and attaches itself to the female for reproductive purposes.
     [1913 Webster]

From WordNet (r) 2.0 [wn]:

  hectocotyli
       See {hectocotylus}