Tentacle
/ˈtɛn.tə.kəl/noun
A slender, flexible limb or appendage used for touch, grasping, or sensing.
Did you know?Tentacle comes from Latin tentāre, “to feel, handle, try,” the same root behind words tied to testing and touching—so its oldest meaning is less sea monster, more probing touch.
Etymological Timeline
Latin
Latin
tentāre
“to feel, handle, test, or try”
Late Latin
Latin
tentāculum
“an instrument for feeling or probing”
16th Century
English
tentacle
“a slender sensory or grasping appendage”
Modern English
English
tentacle
“a flexible limb used for sensing, grasping, or feeding”