Definitions

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition.

  • noun A hard outer structure, such as the shell of an insect or crustacean, that provides protection or support for an organism.

from The Century Dictionary.

  • noun In zoology and anatomy, any structure produced by the hardening of the integument, as the shells of crustaceans or the scales and plates of fishes and reptiles, especially when such modified integument is of the nature of bone, as the carapace of a turtle or the plates of a sturgeon; the dermoskeleton: opposed to endoskeleton.

from the GNU version of the Collaborative International Dictionary of English.

  • noun (Anat.) The hardened parts of the external integument of an animal, including hair, feathers, nails, horns, scales, etc.,as well as the armor of armadillos and many reptiles, and the shells or hardened integument of numerous invertebrates; external skeleton; dermoskeleton.

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.

  • noun anatomy A hard outer structure that provides both structure and protection to creatures such as insects and Crustacea.

from WordNet 3.0 Copyright 2006 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.

  • noun 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

Etymologies

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License

From exo- +‎ skeleton.

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Examples

  • Using revolutionary hyper-sensors and nano-hydraulic technology, the exoskeleton is able to detect and amplify body movement.

    New Iron Man 2 Viral Website: AccuTech | /Film 2010

  • The chitin of the black widow, her exoskeleton, is so shiny and tough that simply spraying her living quarters with Raid will not kill her; you must spray it directly on her body for the insecticide to take effect.

    Ze Widow, She Is Black Heather McDougal 2009

  • The chitin of the black widow, her exoskeleton, is so shiny and tough that simply spraying her living quarters with Raid will not kill her; you must spray it directly on her body for the insecticide to take effect.

    Archive 2009-06-01 Heather McDougal 2009

  • It's probably less protein in the human diet than carbohydrate (assuming their exoskeleton is comformed of chitin).

    On The Subject of Traditional Foods of Mexico 2005

  • The building’s exoskeleton is a hyper-efficient structure that provides thermal mass for insulation, shade for residents, and architectural elements such as terraces and armatures that support turbines.

    NEW GREEN TOWER IN MIAMI – The COR Building | Inhabitat 2006

  • The building’s exoskeleton is a hyper-efficient structure that provides thermal mass for insulation, shade for residents, and architectural elements such as terraces and armatures that support turbines.

    NEW GREEN TOWER IN MIAMI – The COR Building | Inhabitat 2006

  • Instead of giving up on life, though, he persevered and found an experimental treatment for his paralysis called an "exoskeleton" that allowed him to stand and finally walk again at his recent graduation from the University of California, Berkley.

    VIDEO: Paralyzed Student Walks Again at Graduation 2011

  • Instead of the familiar smooth blue-green, her exoskeleton was a rich, deep purple, the chitin worn rough and pebbly in places.

    Dirge Foster, Alan Dean, 1946- 2000

  • Instead of the familiar smooth blue-green, her exoskeleton was a rich, deep purple, the chitin worn rough and pebbly in places.

    Dirge Foster, Alan Dean, 1946- 2000

  • They cannot know that you are a pure organic and that your exoskeleton is a product of the froporia and not your own body.

    Sentenced To Prism Foster, Alan Dean, 1946- 1985

Comments

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  • Also refers to an exosuit - a robotic wearable which let's people walk or lift heavy items.

    February 3, 2016