carapace

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“
It is bounded laterally by ridges, which rise above the articulation of the foot, and to which the lower margin of the carapace is applied.

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Definitions (9)

Toggle American Heritage definitions American Heritage Dictionary (2)

  1. noun Zoology A hard bony or chitinous outer covering, such as the fused dorsal plates of a turtle or the portion of the exoskeleton covering the head and thorax of a crustacean.
  2. noun A protective, shell-like covering likened to that of a turtle or crustacean: "He used to worry that Sarah would age the same way, develop the same brittle carapace” (Anne Tyler).

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Examples (50)

  • It let itself be squashed like the most miserable bug on Earth, with one difference: the crystalline insect's carapace was far more difficult to crack. —  Stanislaw Lem - The Invincible
  • The carapace was speeding faster toward the brink.
  • The back was rounded like the carapace of the beetle, with the stylized shapes of head and limbs The small scarabs were popular amulets, worn by the living and the dead to insure good luck. —  52316_ApeWhoGuardsTheBalance
  • He raised his blade high and Kira braced herself for the sight of split carapace or splattered brain matter, but instead heard only "End program." —  Star Trek - DS9 - Section 31 book 3 - Abyss
  • The tall girl deftly opened the armored carapace, and what she saw made her pause. —  Asimov'sSF,September2007
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This word has been looked up 148 times.

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Etymologies (2)

Toggle American Heritage etymologies American Heritage Dictionary (1)

  1. French, from Spanish carapacho.

Toggle Century etymologies Century Dictionary (1)

  1. Also carapax; from French carapace, from Catalan carabassa = Spanish carapacho = Italian dial, caravazza, a gourd: see calabash.
 

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/ˈkærəpeɪs/
by American Heritage

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