Ptilinum

//ˈ(p)tɪlɪnəm// noun

noun ·Rare ·Advanced level

Definitions

Noun
  1. 1
    A bladder-like pouch on the head of schizophoran flies that by expanding enables the fly to emerge from its puparium.

    "As for the structure of the ptilinum itself, Strickland (1953) reported that the ptilina of Conopidae 'are voluminous and represent the most rugged type of ptilinum which we have encountered'."

Example

More examples

"As for the structure of the ptilinum itself, Strickland (1953) reported that the ptilina of Conopidae 'are voluminous and represent the most rugged type of ptilinum which we have encountered'."

Etymology

Borrowed from New Latin ptilīnum, itself an adaptation of the French ptiline.

Data sourced from Wiktionary, WordNet, CMU, and other open linguistic databases. Updated March 2026.