Quantcast
 
Dictionary
Thesaurus
Encyclopedia
Translator
Web
Related Searches
Nearby Words

carapace

 - 4 dictionary results

car⋅a⋅pace

  [kar-uh-peys]
–noun
a bony or chitinous shield, test, or shell covering some or all of the dorsal part of an animal, as of a turtle.
Use carapace in a Sentence
Origin:
1830–40; < F < Sp carapacho, of obscure orig.

Related forms:
car⋅a⋅paced, adjective
car⋅a⋅pa⋅cial  [kar-uh-pey-shuhl] , adjective
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2010.
Cite This Source Link To carapace
car·a·pace   (kār'ə-pās')   
n.  

  1. Zoology A hard bony or chitinous outer covering, such as the fused dorsal plates of a turtle or the portion of the exoskeleton covering the head and thorax of a crustacean.

  2. A protective, shell-like covering likened to that of a turtle or crustacean: "He used to worry that Sarah would age the same way, develop the same brittle carapace" (Anne Tyler).


[French, from Spanish carapacho.]
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
Copyright © 2009 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
Cite This Source
Word Origin & History

carapace 
1836, from Fr. carapace "tortoise shell," from Port. carapaça, of uncertain origin, perhaps somehow from L. capa (see cape (1)).
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2001 Douglas Harper
Cite This Source
Science Dictionary
carapace   (kār'ə-pās')  Pronunciation Key 
A hard outer covering or shell made of bone or chitin on the back of animals such as turtles, armadillos, lobsters, and crabs.
The American Heritage® Science Dictionary
Copyright © 2002. Published by Houghton Mifflin. All rights reserved.
Cite This Source
Search another word or see carapace on Thesaurus | Reference
FacebookTwitterFollow us:
Partner Sites:
ExpediaHotelsHotwireLife123LiveDailyThe Daily BeastUrbanspoonAsk AnswersBloglinesSendori