# proboscis

> English word · Noun · IPA /pɹə(ʊ)ˈbɒs(k)ɪs/ · frequency rank #60,396

## Definitions
1. An elongated tube from the head or connected to the mouth, of an animal.
2. An elongated tube from the head or connected to the mouth, of an animal.
3. An elongated tube from the head or connected to the mouth, of an animal.
4. A large or lengthy human nose.

## Etymology
From Latin proboscis, from Ancient Greek προβοσκίς (proboskís, “elephant's trunk”) literally "means for taking food," from προ- (pro-, “before”) + βόσκω (bóskō, “to nourish, feed”), from the Proto-Indo-European root *gʷeh₃- from which also comes βοτάνη (botánē, “grass, fodder”).

## Source
Compiled from Wiktionary via kaikki.org (CC BY-SA). Data vintage: 2026-05-06.
Canonical page: https://plainspell.com/en/word/proboscis