- exoskeleton
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A hard outer structure that provides both structure and protection to creatures such as insects and Crustacea.
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exoskeleton
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Exoskeleton — Ex o*skel e*ton, n. [Exo + skeleton] (Anat.) The hardened parts of the external integument of an animal, including hair, feathers, nails, horns, scales, etc.,as well as the armor of armadillos and many reptiles, and the shells or hardened… … The Collaborative International Dictionary of English
exoskeleton — 1847, from EXO (Cf. exo ) + SKELETON (Cf. skeleton). Introduced by English anatomist Sir Richard Owen (1804 1892) … Etymology dictionary
exoskeleton — ► NOUN Zoology ▪ the rigid external covering of the body in insects and some other invertebrate animals … English terms dictionary
exoskeleton — [eks΄ō skel′ə tən] n. any hard, external, secreted supporting structure, as the shell of an oyster or the cuticle of a lobster: cf. ENDOSKELETON exoskeletal [eks΄ō skel′ətəl] adj … English World dictionary
Exoskeleton — The discarded exoskeleton of a dragonfly nymph An exoskeleton is the external skeleton that supports and protects an animal s body, in contrast to the internal skeleton (endoskeleton) of, for example, a human. In popular usage, some of the larger … Wikipedia
exoskeleton — exoskeletal, adj. /ek soh skel i tn/, n. Zool. an external covering or integument, esp. when hard, as the shells of crustaceans (opposed to endoskeleton). [1840 50; EXO + SKELETON] * * * ▪ anatomy rigid or articulated envelope that supports … Universalium
exoskeleton — UK [ˈeksəʊˌskelɪt(ə)n] / US [ˈeksoʊˌskelɪt(ə)n] noun [countable] Word forms exoskeleton : singular exoskeleton plural exoskeletons biology a hard covering on the outside of organisms such as insects and crustaceans that provides support and… … English dictionary
exoskeleton — hard parts on the body surface developed in the dermis, called membrane or dermal bones (scales, scutes, spines, plates, elements of the head and pectoral girdle, etc.). In bony fishes, many of these bones migrated to deeper layers below the… … Dictionary of ichthyology
Exoskeleton car — An Exoskeleton car has a visible external frame, being made of chromoly, stainless steel, or carbon fiber. The simplistic construction of the vehicle follows Colin Chapman s philosophy of maximising the power to weight ratio by minimising weight… … Wikipedia
exoskeleton — noun Date: 1847 1. an external supportive covering of an animal (as an arthropod) 2. bony or horny parts of a vertebrate produced from epidermal tissues 3. an artificial external supporting structure • exoskeletal adjective … New Collegiate Dictionary
