integument

[ in-teg-yuh-muhnt ]

noun

1. a natural covering, as a skin, shell, or rind.

   Synonyms: involucrum, involucre, cortex

2. any covering, coating, enclosure, etc.

integument

/ ɪnˈtɛɡjʊmənt /

noun

1. the protective layer around an ovule that becomes the seed coat
2. the outer protective layer or covering of an animal, such as skin or a cuticle

integument

/ ĭn-tĕg′y-mənt /

1. A natural outer covering of an animal or plant or of one of its parts, such as skin, a shell, or the part of a plant ovule that develops into a seed coat.

Derived Forms

• inˌteguˈmental, adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of integument¹

First recorded in 1605–15; from Latin integumentum “covering, shield, guard”; in- ², tegument

Word History and Origins

Origin of integument¹

C17: from Latin integumentum, from tegere to cover

Example Sentences

Similar to a hypodermic needle, a nematode uses its stylet to pierce cells and pull out food -- in this case from the pseudoscorpion's hypodermis, part of the outer covering known as the integument.

From Science Daily

They called the outer coat a cupule and proposed that it was the precursor to the outer coat, or integument, of angiosperm seeds.

From Science Magazine

To get multiple specimens of a synapsid with integument is a big deal.

From Scientific American

To grow old, though, is not only a chronological fact but also an inevitability of fading powers and sagging integument.

From New York Times

And in each case, the only integument known from these dinosaurs were blotches of scaly skin from areas of the neck, hips, and tail.

From Scientific American

More About Integument

What does integument mean?

An integument is a natural coating, like skin, a shell, or a rind.

The word can refer generally to any coating or covering, but it is primarily used to refer to the outer layer of natural things, like animals and plants. In humans, integument is a technical word for the skin, especially in the context of anatomy and medicine.

The adjective form of integument is integumentary, which is especially used in the term integumentary system to refer to the system of the human body that includes the skin and related things, like hair and nails.

Example: The integuments of animals and plants are very different, but they often serve similar purposes.

Where does integument come from?

The first records of the word integument come from the early 1600s. It comes from the Latin word integumentum, meaning “a covering.”

Integument is commonly used in biology and related fields when discussing the skin of humans and animals. In humans, the integument includes the skin, hair, and nails, as well as skin glands. The skin is the body’s largest organ, and the integumentary system plays an important role in functions like protecting the body and regulating heat. In animals, integuments include things like skin and scales, and integumentary structures include things like feathers and hooves. The integuments of plants involve several components that have the same names as parts of the human body, including epidermis, cuticles, and glands.

Did you know ... ?

What are some other forms of integument?

• integumentary (adjective)
• integumental (adjective)

What are some words that share a root or word element with integument? 

• tegument

What are some words that often get used in discussing integument?

• skin
• covering
• shell
• rind
• dermis
• epidermis
• cutaneous

How is integument used in real life?

Integument is primarily used in the context of biology when discussing the outer layers of living things, including the skin of humans and animals and the covering of plants.

Skin grafting is a type of surgery where there is the transfer of a portion of the integument (skin) from the donor site to a host bed from where it acquires a new blood supply to ensure the viability of the transplanted cells.

— Doctor Khurram Khan (@doctor_khurram) March 9, 2020

How neat would it be to have some kind of AI that could receive an input and output species and formulate a series of intermediate forms between them, taking into account stuff like integument, skeletal anatomy and purported diet/behavior?

— Julio the Self-Quarantined Artist 🦕🌿 (@JuliotheArtist) June 7, 2020

Early Triassic stem-archosaur with fully preserved integument, ammonite soft parts preserved, and a tyrannosaurus mummy https://t.co/ndRM71rgdd

— DinosaurNerdMagenta (@dino_magenta) June 11, 2020

 

 

Try using integument!

Is integument used correctly in the following sentence?

The integument is always found on the inside and is usually covered by several other layers.