rhizoverbBeta
DictionaryproboscisProjecting nose or snout
noun

proboscis

pro-BAH-sis/prəʊˈbɑːsɪs/

A long, flexible, or unusually prominent nose or snout.

The elephant grasps grass with its proboscis.

An elephant in three-quarter side view uses its long, flexible trunk to grasp a small tuft of grass, with the entire trunk clearly silhouetted against white.
Etymology
proGreekforward
+boscisGreekto nourish, feed

The pieces convey a forward-reaching means of taking food. Originally naming an elephant’s trunk, the word expanded to other animals’ elongated snouts and feeding organs.

In context

SWF Beach Life Stuff1:58
that proboscis in action so here we have a florida fighting and you will clearly see its two little eye stalks there sticking out and then you see it's little proboscis it's a little trunk
What does a live sea snail look like? Let's see the critter above and below the water!

More examples

  • The insect extended its proboscis toward the flower.
  • The cartoon exaggerated the character’s prominent proboscis.
  • The specimen had a long, narrow proboscis.

Forms

proboscis · proboscises

Similar words

trunk
Trunk is the usual name for an elephant’s proboscis; proboscis applies to other elongated animal structures too.
snout
A snout is a projecting nose and mouth region; proboscis often means an elongated, flexible nose or feeding tube.