Dictionary Thesaurus Word Dynamo Quotes Reference Translator Spanish

scutellum

[skyoo-tel-uhm]

noun, plural scu·tel·la

[-tel-uh] .

Botany. the shieldlike cotyledon of certain monocots.

Zoology. a small plate, scutum, or other shieldlike part, as on the thorax of insects or the feet of birds.

Origin:
1750–60; < Neo-Latin, equivalent to Latin scūt(um) shield (see scute) + -ellum diminutive suffix

Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2012.
Cite This Source

Link To scutellum

00:10

00:09

00:08

00:07

00:06

00:05

00:04

00:03

00:02

00:01

Scutellum is always a great word to know.

So is archegonia. Does it mean:

ovules which are unenclosed, forming on cones or stalks

female reproductive organ which produces eggs in bryophytes, ferns and most gymnosperms

LEARN MORE UNUSUAL WORDS WITH WORD DYNAMO...

Collins

World English Dictionary

scutellum (skjuːˈtɛləm)

—n , pl -la
1.	the last of three plates into which the notum of an insect's thorax is divided
2.	one of the scales on the tarsus of a bird's leg
3.	an outgrowth from a germinating grass seed that probably represents the cotyledon
4.	any other small shield-shaped part or structure

[C18: from New Latin: a little shield, from Latin scūtum a shield]

scu'tellar

—*adj*

scutellate

—*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
Cite This Source

American Heritage

Science Dictionary

scutellum

(sky

-těl'əm) Pronunciation Key
Plural scutella

A shieldlike bony plate or scale, as on the thorax of some insects.
The large, shield-shaped cotyledon of the embryo of a grass plant, specialized for the absorption of food from the endosperm.

Word Dynamo Rating For Scutellum

People who can define Scutellum may know 11,290 words.

How many words do you know?

Enjoy Dictionary.com ad-free! Learn more

Related Words

scutellate

Image for scutellum

Quote Of The Day

"If someday I make a dictionary of definitions wanting single words to head them, a cherished entry will be "To abridge, expand, or otherwise alter or cause to be altered for the sake of belated improvement, one's own writings in translation.""

-Vladimir Nabokov

Partners:Word Bloglines Citysearch The Daily Beast Ask Answers Ask Kids Life123 Sendori Thesaurus

About Privacy Policy Terms of Use API Careers Advertise with Us Contact Us Help

scutellum

scu·tel·lum