Definitions

from The Century Dictionary.

  • noun A bone or ossicle developed in the skin of an animal. Typical examples are the bony plates of crocodiles and the ossicles of the great extinct sloth, the Grypotherium.

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

  • noun anatomy A bony deposit in the dermal layers of the skin

Etymologies

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Examples

  • Pakasuchus's body was not as heavily protected with osteoderm (bone deposits in scales) as modern and ancient crocodiles.

    About.com Biology 2010

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