appendage
noun
ap·pend·age
ə-ˈpen-dij 
1
: an adjunct to something larger or more important : appurtenance
2
: a usually projecting part of an animal or plant body that is typically smaller and of less functional importance than the main part to which it is attached
especially
: a limb or analogous part (such as a seta)
3
[appendant]
: a dependent or subordinate person
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The Root of Appendage
Appendix isn't the only noun that comes from append. Unlike appendix, appendage doesn't suggest the end of something, but simply something attached. The word is often used in biology to refer to parts of an animal's body: an insect's antennae, mouthparts, or wings, for example. The appendages of some animals will grow back after they've been removed; a salamander, for example, can regrow a finger, and the tiny sea squirt can regrow all its appendages—and even its brain.
Synonyms
Examples of appendage in a Sentence
The court system acts as an appendage to the government.
an appendage of a larger political party
Recent Examples on the Web
In one scene, Michaels grabs a small pair of scissors, alluding to cutting off Michaels’ man’s appendage.
—
Tomás Mier, Rolling Stone, 10 Jan. 2025
Darwin’s theory, and what others suggest, is that over a long period of time, millions of years, perhaps, the fish in its biology was sufficiently altered, by will or habit or happenstance, to be able to push itself onto land, and thereby start building its own appendages for terrestrial transport.
—John Werner, Forbes, 6 Jan. 2025
Its appendage is powered by artificial intelligence developed by the company, which has a lab in Shanghai and a research institute in Shenzhen.
—Yeo Boon Ping, CNBC, 6 Jan. 2025
This appendage is known as the illicium and thought to have once been a dorsal fin.
—Elizabeth Rayne, Ars Technica, 30 Dec. 2024
See all Example Sentences for appendage 
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Tomás Mier, Rolling Stone, 10 Jan. 2025
Darwin’s theory, and what others suggest, is that over a long period of time, millions of years, perhaps, the fish in its biology was sufficiently altered, by will or habit or happenstance, to be able to push itself onto land, and thereby start building its own appendages for terrestrial transport.
—John Werner, Forbes, 6 Jan. 2025
Its appendage is powered by artificial intelligence developed by the company, which has a lab in Shanghai and a research institute in Shenzhen.
—Yeo Boon Ping, CNBC, 6 Jan. 2025
This appendage is known as the illicium and thought to have once been a dorsal fin.
—Elizabeth Rayne, Ars Technica, 30 Dec. 2024
See all Example Sentences for appendage
Dictionary Entries Near appendage
Cite this Entry
“Appendage.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/appendage. Accessed 13 Feb. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
appendage
noun
ap·pend·age
ə-ˈpen-dij
1
: something attached to a larger or more important thing
2
: a projecting part (as an antenna) of an animal or plant body
especially
: an arm, leg, or similar part
Medical Definition
appendage
noun
ap·pend·age
ə-ˈpen-dij
: a subordinate or derivative body part
especially
: a limb or analogous part (as a seta)
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