Definition of proboscisnext
as in snout
the part of the face bearing the nostrils and nasal cavity if there were a direct relation between mendacity and the length of one's proboscis, hers would be a mile long

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Example Sentences

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.
Recent Examples of proboscis Well, then it’s being stolen right out from under its retracting proboscis, which is actually just another drooling head that lives in its mouth. Brian Moylan, Vulture, 22 Sep. 2025 Based on this, the researchers estimate that the proboscis may have first evolved between 260 and 244 million years ago, right after the mass extinction. Jenny Lehmann, Discover Magazine, 5 June 2025 The brain bug's intrinsic ick factor is undeniably high, but using their proboscises to suck thoughts directly from the brains of their unfortunate victims is a pretty neat party trick. Richard Edwards, Space.com, 2 Apr. 2026 Other animals can crush the ultra-tough shells of pollen grains with teeth, jaws, or other similar body parts; butterflies have only a proboscis, a flexible, strawlike structure usually reserved for sipping liquid. Katherine J. Wu, The Atlantic, 16 June 2026 See All Example Sentences for proboscis
Recent Examples of Synonyms for proboscis
Noun
  • With their snouts, the pigs would feel each beat of my heart the way a human would feel a silver dollar that had been flipped in the air then caught in an open palm, flipped and caught, coming up heads or tails, whichever side had been called when the coin was at its apogee.
    Will Mackin, New Yorker, 28 June 2026
  • With those personal details out of the way, the app asks the user to identify the dog’s breed, snout description, and coat type (single, double, or hairless), as well as what her typical daily activity looks like.
    Mack DeGeurin, Popular Science, 18 June 2026
Noun
  • Spreading food across a yard or floor so your dog has to use their nose to find each piece.
    Ryan Brennan, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 7 July 2026
  • Elii Emeghebo said Peter Jackson, a menswear company that specializes in suits, used AI to alter his skin tone and reshape his nose, among other changes to his facial features, according to a report from ABC News Australia.
    Roy Stephen Canivel, Footwear News, 6 July 2026

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Proboscis.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/proboscis. Accessed 7 Jul. 2026.

More from Merriam-Webster on proboscis

Love words? Need even more definitions?

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