The scientific name for the specialized reproductive arm in male cephalopods, originally thought to be a parasitic organism before its true function was understood.
From Greek 'hekaton' (hundred) and 'kotyle' (cup), referring to the hundred or many suckers; this term was used by early 19th-century scientists who mistakenly classified the detached arm as a separate species.
The hectocotylus fooled marine biologists for decades—they found these mysterious arm-like creatures floating in the ocean and named them as a completely different organism before realizing they were looking at detached reproductive organs!
Complete word intelligence in one call. Free tier — 50 lookups/day.