eyestalk

noun

eye·​stalk ˈī-ˌstȯk How to pronounce eyestalk (audio)
: one of the movable peduncles bearing an eye at the tip in a decapod crustacean

Examples of eyestalk in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
The mockup of the insect’s head shows a rough circle adorned with two antennae, a small mandible hidden underneath and eyestalks protruding from the sides. Olatunji Osho-Williams, Smithsonian Magazine, 22 Oct. 2024 One of its features, however, was a surprise that is not seen in any living members of the millipede or centipede families: eyestalks. Olatunji Osho-Williams, Smithsonian Magazine, 22 Oct. 2024 Once the jellyfish can see the outlines of its environment, signals from its four simple brains (one in each eyestalk) steer it home to shallow coastal waters from Puerto Rico to Australia — and, unfortunately, toward tropical beachgoers, who dread the animal’s dangerous sting. Valerie Ross, Discover Magazine, 25 Mar. 2019

Word History

First Known Use

1854, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of eyestalk was in 1854

Dictionary Entries Near eyestalk

Cite this Entry

“Eyestalk.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/eyestalk. Accessed 23 Dec. 2024.

Kids Definition

eyestalk

noun
eye·​stalk -ˌstȯk How to pronounce eyestalk (audio)
: a movable stalk bearing an eye at the tip in a crustacean
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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