Ligula is a Latin word that refers to a thin, flat plate or tongue-like structure found in various living organisms especially in insects and mollusks. There are several synonyms for the word ligula such as proboscis, sucker, proboscidean, and tongue. Proboscis is typically used to refer to a long nose-like structure found in certain insects and animals and used for feeding. Sucker, on the other hand, is used to refer to a mouthpart or organ used for attaching and sucking food. Proboscidean refers to any animal that has a long, flexible snout while the word tongue is mostly used to refer to the organ of taste found in humans or animals.