chitin

[ kahy-tin ]

nounBiochemistry.
  1. a nitrogen-containing polysaccharide, related chemically to cellulose, that forms a semitransparent horny substance and is a principal constituent of the exoskeleton, or outer covering, of insects, crustaceans, and arachnids.

Origin of chitin

1
1830–40; <French chitine<Greek chit(ṓn) tunic, chiton + French -ine-in2

Other words from chitin

  • chi·tin·ous, chi·tin·oid, adjective

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How to use chitin in a sentence

  • These are a pair of chitinous rods which lie ventral to the notochord and in the collar region unite to form a single mass.

    The Vertebrate Skeleton | Sidney H. Reynolds
  • The fine chitinous tubule is especially conspicuous in connection with these largest goblets.

    The Origin of Vertebrates | Walter Holbrook Gaskell

British Dictionary definitions for chitin

chitin

/ (ˈkaɪtɪn) /


noun
  1. a polysaccharide that is the principal component of the exoskeletons of arthropods and of the bodies of fungi

Origin of chitin

1
C19: from French chitine, from Greek khitōn chiton + -in

Derived forms of chitin

  • chitinous, adjective
  • chitinoid, adjective

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Scientific definitions for chitin

chitin

[ kītn ]


  1. A tough, semitransparent substance that is the main component of the exoskeletons of arthropods, such as the shells of crustaceans and the outer coverings of insects. Chitin is also found in the cell walls of certain fungi and algae. Chemically, it is a nitrogenous polysaccharide (a carbohydrate).

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