Definitions

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

  • noun A shieldlike plate on the front of the head of an insect.

from The Century Dictionary.

  • noun In archaeology: A large circular shield, with a convex outer and concave inner surface.
  • noun An ornamental disk, of marble or other substance, in the shape of a shield, often sculptured in relief, hung in the intercolumniations of the atria of Roman dwellings, etc. Examples have been found at Pompeii and elsewhere.
  • noun [NL.] In entomology, properly, that part of the upper surface of an insect's head which lies before the front or forehead, and behind the labrum when the latter is present; a fixed sclerite immediately in front of the epicranium, and to which the labrum is attached. See cut under Hymenoptera.
  • noun [capitalized] [NL.] A genus of fossil echinoderms. C. sinuatus is an example.

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

  • noun (Zoöl.) The frontal plate of the head of an insect.

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

  • noun The shield-shaped front part of an insect's head or a spider's cephalothorax.

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

  • noun a shield-like plate on the front of an insect's head

Etymologies

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 4th Edition

[New Latin, from Latin clipeus, round shield.]

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License

From Latin clipeus ‘round shield’.

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Examples

  • Millipedes were killed by disarticulation, often through decapitation, using the clypeus as a lever.

    Archive 2009-01-01 2009

  • Ante-coxal piece: Coleoptera; that portion of the metasternum lying in front of the posterior coxae, often passing between them and meeting the abdomen of mandible, is the lateral sclerite of the clypeus; - one on each side.

    Explanation of Terms Used in Entomology John. B. Smith

  • Clypeal suture: marks the division between clypeus and epicranium.

    Explanation of Terms Used in Entomology John. B. Smith

  • Gena - ae: the cheeks; includes that portion of the head on each side below the eyes, and extends to the gular suture: in Odonata the area between the eyes and clypeus and mouth parts: in Diptera the space between the lower border of the eye and oral margin, merging into face at front and limited by the occipital margin behind.

    Explanation of Terms Used in Entomology John. B. Smith

  • Mystacine - us: bcarded: with a hairy fringe above mouth or on clypeus.

    Explanation of Terms Used in Entomology John. B. Smith

  • Ante-clypeus: Odonata; the lower of the two divisions of the clypeus; the inferior half of the clypeus whenever there is any apparent line of demarcation: = clypeus-anterior; infra-clypeus; rhinarium; second clypeus.

    Explanation of Terms Used in Entomology John. B. Smith

  • The secutores have a very plain helmet, that their adversary may have little or no opportunity of pulling it off with the net or trident; the right arm is clothed in armor, the left bore a _clypeus_, or large round shield; a sandal tied with narrow bands forms the covering for their feet.

    Museum of Antiquity A Description of Ancient Life

  • Epistoma - is: the lower face between the mouth and eyes: that sclerite immediately behind or above the labrum, whether it be clypeus or an intermediate piece: in Diptera, that part of the face between the front and the labrum; the oral margin and an indefinite space immediately contiguous thereto and so = peristoma: in Odonata; = clypeus: = hypostoma.

    Explanation of Terms Used in Entomology John. B. Smith

  • With the one exception of its monstrous size, there were the characteristics in plain view; -- the convex body, the large head, the projecting clypeus.

    The Beetle Richard Marsh

  • Nasal suture: = clypeal suture; q.v. Nasus: anterior termination of the face in certain Hymenoptera: the clypeus or a modification of it: in Odonata, the upper portion of the clypeus = supra-clypeus = postclypeus.

    Explanation of Terms Used in Entomology John. B. Smith

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