Use appendage in formal contexts for an attached addition or a person or organization denied independence. It is more dismissive than addition and more explicitly subordinate than attachment.
Use appendage in formal contexts for an attached addition or a person or organization denied independence. It is more dismissive than addition and more explicitly subordinate than attachment.
| Incorrect | Correct |
| The supporting data is in the appendage at the end of the report. | The supporting data is in the appendix at the end of the report. |
| Please appendage the note to the file. | Please append the note to the file. |
| The new wing is an appendage from the main building. | The new wing is an appendage to the main building. |
| The committee are merely appendage of the ministry. | The committee is merely an appendage of the ministry. |
Use appendage as a broad biological term when the type of projecting structure matters less than its attachment or function. Use a precise name such as limb, antenna, or fin when it is known.
| Incorrect | Correct |
| The beetle has six jointed appendage. | The beetle has six jointed appendages. |
| The appendix uses its wings to fly. | The insect uses its wing appendages to fly. |
| Each appendages has a sensory function. | Each appendage has a sensory function. |
| A crab's claws are appendixes. | A crab's claws are appendages. |
Use appendage formally for something secondary and attached, or technically in biology for a projecting structure such as a limb, wing, or antenna.
Appendage at the end of a report confuses the word with appendix. The related verb is append, not appendage.
Formed in the seventeenth century from append, meaning to attach or add, and the noun-forming suffix -age.
What does appendage mean?
An appendage is a secondary part attached to something larger, or a projecting structure on an animal or plant.
Can appendage mean a body part?
Yes. In biology, an appendage can be a limb, wing, antenna, tentacle, or another projecting structure.
Can a person be called an appendage?
Yes, but the formal figurative use suggests that the person is treated as dependent or unimportant rather than independent.
How is appendage different from appendix?
An appendage is broadly something attached, while an appendix is the organ or a supplementary section at the end of a document.
Where does appendage come from?
Appendage was formed from append, meaning to attach or add, and the suffix -age.