English Explanatory Dictionary

amplection

English dictionary entry

Meanings

noun
  1. An embrace.
  2. A form of pseudocopulation, found chiefly in amphibians and horseshoe crabs, in which a male grasps a female with his front legs; amplexus.

Word forms

amplection amplections amplexion

Etymology

From Middle English amplection, amplexion, from Latin amplexiō (“act of embracing”), from amplex-, past participial stem of amplector (“surround; embrace”), + -iō. In this form, with remodelling after Latin amplector. By surface analysis, amplect + -ion.

Related words

amplect amplex amplexation amplexus
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