scutellum

[ skyoo-tel-uhm ]

noun

, plural scu·tel·la [skyoo-, tel, -, uh].

1. Botany. the shieldlike cotyledon of certain monocots.
2. Zoology. a small plate, scutum, or other shieldlike part, as on the thorax of insects or the feet of birds.

scutellum

/ skjuːˈtɛləm; ˈskjuːtɪˌleɪt; -lɪt /

noun

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

scutellum

/ skyo̅o̅-tĕl′əm /

, Plural scutella

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

Derived Forms

• scutellate, adjective
• scuˈtellar, adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of scutellum¹

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

Word History and Origins

Origin of scutellum¹

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

Example Sentences

The researchers derived the word “scutoid” from the scutellum of beetle—see Figure 4–as the two share attributes.

From Scientific American

They noticed that the shape vaguely resembled the back end of a beetle, a structure called a scutellum.

From The New Yorker

Found globally, these insects are named for their outsized scutellum, from the Latin word scutum, meaning shield.

From National Geographic

Also known as shield bugs, Man-Faced Stink Bugs have a thick, hardened extension of the thorax, called a scutellum, that covers and protects the top of its abdomen.

From Scientific American

It sometimes has two prominent black dots on its scutellum, but always has a pair of big, black spots on its leathery wings.

From Scientific American