ecdysis

[ ek-duh-sis ]

noun

, plural ec·dy·ses [ek, -d, uh, -seez].

1. the shedding or casting off of an outer coat or integument by snakes, crustaceans, etc.

ecdysis

/ ˈɛkdɪsɪs /

noun

1. the periodic shedding of the cuticle in insects and other arthropods or the outer epidermal layer in reptiles See also ecdysone

Derived Forms

• ecˈdysial, adjective

Other Words From

• ec·dys·i·al [ek-, diz, -ee-, uh, l, -, dizh, -, -, dizh, -, uh, l], adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of ecdysis¹

1850–55; < New Latin < Greek ékdysis a getting out, equivalent to ek- ec- + dý ( ein ) to enter + -sis -sis

Word History and Origins

Origin of ecdysis¹

C19: New Latin, from Greek ekdusis, from ekduein to strip, from ek- ex- ¹+ duein to put on

Example Sentences

A 2018 study by South Dakota State University and the Ecdysis Foundation — a nonprofit research group — found that corn production was 29% lower on regenerative farms than conventional ones but profits were 78% higher because of reduced tilling, lower fertilizer and pesticide use and lower water costs.

From Seattle Times

Jonathan Lundgren of the Ecdysis Foundation, for example, is aiming to tally outcomes on 1,000 farms — from conventional to organic to regenerative — over the next 10 years.

From Salon

Linear webs hang loosely on the wall, like residue from an autopsy surgeon’s scalpel, while snakelike shapes seem to be in the process of shedding their skin — ecdysis, as internal development outgrows its container.

From Los Angeles Times

“I had written an album and I honestly didn’t know what it was about,” Frisby says of the just-released “Ecdysis,” otherwise known as the process of shedding skin.

From Washington Post

She’s also selling four linocut prints on her Bandcamp page that tie into “Ecdysis,” which was funded with a grant from the Prince George’s County Arts and Humanities Council.

From Washington Post