Definitions
from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition.
- noun A tubular structure, usually concealed but sometimes extending outside the abdomen, with which many female insects deposit eggs.
- noun A similar organ of certain fishes and turtles.
from The Century Dictionary.
- noun The ovipositing organ with which many (especially hymenopterous, orthopterous, coleopterous, and dipterous) insects are provided, and by means of which they place their eggs in a position suitable for development.
from the GNU version of the Collaborative International Dictionary of English.
- noun (Zoöl.) The organ with which many insects and some other animals deposit their eggs. Some ichneumon files have a long ovipositor fitted to pierce the eggs or larvæ of other insects, in order to lay their own eggs within the same.
from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.
- noun zoology A
tubular protruding organ for layingeggs .
from WordNet 3.0 Copyright 2006 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.
- noun egg-laying tubular structure at the end of the abdomen in many female insects and some fishes
Etymologies
from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License
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Examples
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He says female cicadas use a sword-like organ, called an ovipositor, to slice into small tree branches and insert their eggs.
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But they still retain the ovipositor, which is converted into a sting, and supplied with a poisonous liquid to eject afterwards into the wound.
Falling in Love With Other Essays on More Exact Branches of Science Grant Allen 1873
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The ovipositor, which is about four-tenths of an inch in length, is plunged obliquely and up to the hilt into the twig.
Social Life in the Insect World Jean-Henri Fabre 1869
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Females have an organ called ovipositor where eggs are deposited.
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Females have an organ called ovipositor where eggs are deposited.
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Honeybee Stinger - The stinger is located on female honeybees at the end of the abdomen and is part of the ovipositor, which is an egg-laying device.
unknown title 2009
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Females have an organ called ovipositor where eggs are deposited.
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Females have an organ called ovipositor where eggs are deposited.
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Honeybee Stinger - The stinger is located on female honeybees at the end of the abdomen and is part of the ovipositor, which is an egg-laying device.
unknown title 2009
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Honeybee Stinger - The stinger is located on female honeybees at the end of the abdomen and is part of the ovipositor, which is an egg-laying device.
unknown title 2009
lizzy commented on the word ovipositor
in the context of insect reproduction, this word is mildly amusing, but when I think if it in terms of positing eggs more generally, it makes me laugh
December 9, 2006
madmouth commented on the word ovipositor
Can be used as a weapon as well (see eurytoma wasp)
July 22, 2009