carapace

American  

[kar-uh-peys] / ˈkær əˌpeɪs /

noun

1. a bony or chitinous shield, test, or shell covering some or all of the dorsal part of an animal, as of a turtle.

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carapace British  

/ ˈkærəˌpeɪs /

noun

1. the thick hard shield, made of chitin or bone, that covers part of the body of crabs, lobsters, tortoises, etc

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carapace Scientific  

/ kăr′ə-pās′ /

1. A hard outer covering or shell made of bone or chitin on the back of animals such as turtles, armadillos, lobsters, and crabs.

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Other Word Forms

• carapaced adjective
• carapacial adjective

Etymology

Origin of carapace

1830–40; < French < Spanish carapacho, of obscure origin

Example Sentences

The suit -- called a carapace -- is about 70% complete and covers each major region of the body.

From Science Daily

"Turtle growth rates and sizes vary," says Cómbita-Romero, so the team looked at features like the thickness of its carapace and the spots where its ribs were knitting together into solid bone.

From Science Daily

It had stubby limbs and a flattened carapace, suggesting that—unlike modern sea turtles—this ancient reptile lived along shallow coastlines.

From Scientific American

Polished, urbane and preternaturally prepared, Cornwell’s sometimes mischievous demeanor forms a kind of shadow narrative, a fascinating carapace that Morris’s interrogatory arrows fail to fully pierce.

From New York Times

The fossil is partial, with a relatively complete carapace - the turtle's shell - but not the rest of the skeleton.

From Reuters

Related Words

• bark
• coating
• crust
• fur
• husk
• jacket
• membrane
• rind
• sheath
• surface