/ prɪˈhensaɪl; NAmE -sl/ adjective
( technical ) ( of a part of an animal's body ) able to hold things :
the monkey's prehensile tail
—picture at spider monkey
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WORD ORIGIN
late 18th cent.: from French préhensile , from Latin prehens- grasped, from the verb prehendere , from prae before + hendere to grasp.