exoskeleton
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soʊˈskɛlBased on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2013.
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exoskeleton (ˌɛksəʊˈskɛlɪtən) ![[Click for IPA pronunciation guide]](http://static.sfdict.com/dictstatic/g/d/dictionary_questionbutton_default.gif) | |
| —n | |
| Compare endoskeleton the protective or supporting structure covering the outside of the body of many animals, such as the thick cuticle of arthropods | |
| exo'skeletal | |
| —adj | |
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| a screen or mat covered with a dark material for shielding a camera lens from excess light or glare. |
| a stew of meat, vegetables, potatoes, etc. |
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exoskeleton ex·o·skel·e·ton (ěk'sō-skěl'ĭ-tn)
n.
All hard parts, such as hair, teeth, and nails, that develop from the ectoderm or mesoderm in vertebrates.
A hard outer structure, such as the shell of an insect, that provides protection or support for an organism.
Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company.
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| exoskeleton (ěk'sō-skěl'ĭ-tn) Pronunciation Key
A hard, protective outer body covering of an animal, such as an insect, crustacean, or mollusk. The exoskeletons of insects and crustaceans are largely made of chitin. Compare endoskeleton. |
Copyright © 2002. Published by Houghton Mifflin. All rights reserved.
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exoskeleton
rigid or articulated envelope that supports and protects the soft tissues of certain animals. The term includes the calcareous housings of sessile invertebrates such as clams but is most commonly applied to the chitinous integument of arthropods, such as insects, spiders, and crustaceans. The arthropod exoskeleton, formed from the epidermis, is composed of an outer waxy, water-resistant layer over chitinous horny and flexible layers. In terrestrial species this covering has small breathing holes (spiracles). By preventing dehydration the exoskeleton has allowed arthropods, especially insects, to invade most terrestrial habitats. The flexible joints in the exoskeleton of creatures such as the lobster allow great freedom of movement. An exoskeleton does not grow; it must be molted regularly and a new one secreted, at which time the animal is soft and vulnerable to both predators and environmental changes
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