osmeterium

[ oz-mi-teer-ee-uhm ]

noun,plural os·me·te·ri·a [oz-mi-teer-ee-uh]. /ˌɒz mɪˈtɪər i ə/.
  1. a glandular process on the first thoracic segment of many caterpillars that emits a noxious odor to ward off predators.

Origin of osmeterium

1
First recorded in 1815–20; from New Latin osmētērium, from Greek osmḗ “odor, smell” + -tērion noun suffix for places and utensils, akin to Latin -tōrium; see -tory2

Words Nearby osmeterium

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