cu·ti·cle

[kyoo-ti-kuhl]
noun
1.
the nonliving epidermis that surrounds the edges of the fingernail or toenail.
2.
the epidermis.
3.
a superficial integument, membrane, or the like.
4.
Also called cuticula. Zoology. the outer, noncellular layer of the arthropod integument, composed of a mixture of chitin and protein and commonly containing other hardening substances as well.
5.
Botany. a very thin hyaline film covering the surface of plants, derived from the outer surfaces of the epidermal cells.
Origin:
1605–15; < Latin cutīcula the skin, equivalent to cuti(s) skin, cutis + -cula -cle1

Related forms
cu·tic·u·lar [kyoo-tik-yuh-ler] , adjective
sub·cu·tic·u·lar, adjective
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2013.
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phylum comprised of mollusks
animal phylum comprised of sponges
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Collins
World English Dictionary
cuticle (ˈkjuːtɪkəl) [Click for IPA pronunciation guide]
 
—n
1.  dead skin, esp that round the base of a fingernail or toenail
2.  another name for epidermis
3.  any covering layer or membrane
4.  the protective layer, containing cutin, that covers the epidermis of higher plants
5.  the hard protective layer covering the epidermis of many invertebrates
 
[C17: from Latin cutīcula diminutive of cutis skin]
 
cuticular
 
—adj

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 10th Edition
2009 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009
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Etymonline
Word Origin & History

cuticle
1615, from L. cuticula, dim. of cutis "skin," from PIE *ku-ti-, from base *(s)keu- "to cover, conceal" (cf. Lith. kiautas "husk," O.E. hyd "skin, hide;" see hide (n.1)). Specialized sense of "skin at the base of the nail" is from 1907.
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper
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American Heritage
Medical Dictionary

cuticle cu·ti·cle (ky&oomacr;'tĭ-kəl)
n.

  1. The strip of hardened skin at the base and sides of a fingernail or toenail.

  2. The outermost layer of the skin; epidermis.

  3. Dead or cornified epidermis.

The American Heritage® Stedman's Medical Dictionary
Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company.
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American Heritage
Science Dictionary
cuticle   (ky'tĭ-kəl)  Pronunciation Key 

  1. The noncellular, hardened or membranous protective covering of many invertebrates, such as the transparent membrane that covers annelids.

  2. A layer of wax and cutin that covers the outermost surfaces of a plant. The cuticle is secreted by the epidermis and helps prevent water loss and infection by parasites.

  3. The hard skin around the sides and base of a fingernail or toenail.


The American Heritage® Science Dictionary
Copyright © 2002. Published by Houghton Mifflin. All rights reserved.
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Encyclopedia Britannica
Encyclopedia

cuticle

the outer layer or part of an organism that comes in contact with the environment. In many invertebrates the dead, noncellular cuticle is secreted by the epidermis. This layer may, as in the arthropods, contain pigments and chitin; in humans the cuticle is the epidermis

Learn more about cuticle with a free trial on Britannica.com.

Encyclopedia Britannica, 2008. Encyclopedia Britannica Online.
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Example sentences
Apparently the hyaline layer, where the fluorescent molecules reside, of the
  cuticle is resistant and remains in fossils.
The iron has specially vented plates to extract moisture from the hair, steam
  it flat and seal the hair cuticle.
They dehydrate the plants by breaking down the outer cuticle on the leaf
  surface.
The angle that the nail makes with its cuticle increases.
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