tenaculum

noun, plural te·nac·u·la [tuh–nak-yuh-luh] /təˈnæk yə lə/.

1. Surgery. a small sharp-pointed hook set in a handle, used for seizing and picking up parts in operations and dissections.
2. Entomology. a clasplike appendage on the abdomen of a springtail, which holds the springing device in place.

noun plural -la (-lə)

1. a surgical or dissecting instrument for grasping and holding parts, consisting of a slender hook mounted in a handle

n. pl. te•nac•u•la (-lə)

1. A long-handled, slender, hooked instrument for lifting and holding parts, such as blood vessels, during surgery.