A pair of appendages under the abdomen of a male shark or ray, or at the end of the abdomen of a male insect, used to hold the female during copulation.
〔动〕交合突，抱（持）器，鳍脚
Example sentencesExamples
Note that the ‘rudimentary legs’ on some snakes are acknowledged as having a function during reproduction, as claspers during copulation.
The claspers are assumed to function in copulation.
In a further effort to identify our specimens, we examined the left and right claspers from one of the male specimens.
No specimens with male claspers, either fully or partially developed, were detected.
In males, the first two pairs of thoracic appendages are hooked and serve as claspers during mating.
Definition of claspers in US English:
claspers
plural nounˈklaspərz
Zoology
A pair of appendages under the abdomen of a male shark or ray, or at the end of the abdomen of a male insect, used to hold the female during copulation.
〔动〕交合突，抱（持）器，鳍脚
Example sentencesExamples
In a further effort to identify our specimens, we examined the left and right claspers from one of the male specimens.
Note that the ‘rudimentary legs’ on some snakes are acknowledged as having a function during reproduction, as claspers during copulation.
No specimens with male claspers, either fully or partially developed, were detected.
In males, the first two pairs of thoracic appendages are hooked and serve as claspers during mating.
The claspers are assumed to function in copulation.