Meaning

Something with seven legs..

Example Sentences

The mystery of the Nagato’s wonderful foremast has now been solved. It is a heptapod, the trunk being supported by six powerful struts, carrying a series of searchlights, range-finder platforms, and director towers.

But as she came nearer and yet nearer I could see her, as it were, disintegrating under the rain of sledge-hammer blows. Her massive heptapod foremast was a tangle of twisted steel.

The heptapod, then, may be considered, along with the US cage, an alternative to the more conventional tripod.

But perhaps what makes the heptapods in Arrival most believable is that they are not all that alien to begin with. From their body shape to their tentacles to their ability to squirt an ink of sorts, heptapods bear a strong resemblance to Earth's most alien intelligent life: cephalopods (squid and octopus).

After the incident, Dr. Ramos reviewed the footage of Costello's activity, which was recorded as part of a behavior and cognition study (the lab was also observing another octopus, Abbott; both were named after the heptapod aliens in the movie "Arrival"). In total, the team found three more shorter instances that appeared similar.

Word Forms

• heptapods

When Should You Use Heptapod?

Use heptapod when its meaning, tone and grammar fit the full sentence. A synonym is not always a direct replacement.

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