EXOSKELETON

Pronunciation (US):

(GB):

IPA (US):

 Dictionary entry overview: What does exoskeleton mean? 

• EXOSKELETON (noun)
  The noun EXOSKELETON has 1 sense:

1. the exterior protective or supporting structure or shell of many animals (especially invertebrates) including bony or horny parts such as nails or scales or hoofs

  Familiarity information: EXOSKELETON used as a noun is very rare.

 Dictionary entry details 

• EXOSKELETON (noun)

Sense 1

Meaning:

The exterior protective or supporting structure or shell of many animals (especially invertebrates) including bony or horny parts such as nails or scales or hoofs

Classified under:

Nouns denoting body parts

Hypernyms ("exoskeleton" is a kind of...):

body covering (any covering for the body or a body part)

frame; skeletal system; skeleton; systema skeletale (the hard structure (bones and cartilages) that provides a frame for the body of an animal)

Domain category:

invertebrate (any animal lacking a backbone or notochord; the term is not used as a scientific classification)

Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "exoskeleton"):

plastron ((zoology) the part of a turtle's shell forming its underside)

 Context examples 

The taxonomic phylum whose members are invertebrates with hard exoskeletons and segmented joints.

(Arthropoda, NCI Thesaurus)

A taxonomic order of mammals with armor-like exoskeletons, of which the only surviving member is the armadillo.

(Cingulata, NCI Thesaurus)