ecdysis

American  

[ek-duh-sis] / ˈɛk də sɪs /

noun

plural

ecdyses

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

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ecdysis British  

/ ˈɛkdɪsɪs /

noun

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

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Other Word Forms

• ecdysial adjective

Etymology

Origin of ecdysis

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

Example Sentences

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 • May 11, 2022

Their final de-husking, called ecdysis, leaves behind a caramel-colored, translucent, empty, cicada-shaped cuticle.

From Washington Times • Jun. 8, 2015

Factoid: From the word ecdysis, midcentury smart-aleck H.L.

From Washington Times • Jun. 8, 2015

The process of molting and replacing the cuticle is called ecdysis, which is how the superphylum derived its name.

From Textbooks • Jan. 1, 2015

It would be unfortunate were it not so, for growth involves ecdysis, and growth is the law of nature.

From Adequate Preparation for the Teacher of Biological Sciences in Secondary Schools by McDonald, James Daley