carapace

[kar-uh-peys]

See more synonyms for carapace on Thesaurus.com

noun

a bony or chitinous shield, test, or shell covering some or all of the dorsal part of an animal, as of a turtle.

Origin of carapace

1830–40; < French < Spanish carapacho, of obscure origin

Related formscar·a·paced, adjectivecar·a·pa·cial

[kar-uh-pey-shuh l] /ˌkær əˈpeɪ ʃəl/, adjective

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018

Examples from the Web for carapace

Contemporary Examples

I walked back to my desk, keeping the satisfaction locked tight within a carapace of steely unconcern, and took in the scene.
Wall Street Bonuses Tumble, But Bankers Have Nowhere to Go
Aaron Timms
March 2, 2012
It encases their loserdom in a carapace of purity and righteousness.
The GOP’s Leading Crank
Michael Tomasky
August 30, 2011
Ian McEwan: Well, I think one way… I think you have to develop a carapace of boringness.
Hanging Out with Ian McEwan: Full Transcript
The Daily Beast Video
April 14, 2010
Greater awareness of that would soften their carapace of greed.
How Bankers Screwed Up Their PR
Adam Hanft
February 7, 2009

Historical Examples

The arthropods in general were provided with a carapace; most of them were crustaceans.
Creative Evolution
Henri Bergson
At least three segments of the trunk are left uncovered by the carapace.
Encyclopaedia Britannica, 11th Edition, Volume 17, Slice 4
Various
The last four or five segments of the trunk are free from the carapace.
Encyclopaedia Britannica, 11th Edition, Volume 17, Slice 4
Various
The Monosphrida comprise all those Sphroidea in which the carapace is represented only by one single lattice-shell.
Report on the Radiolaria Collected by H.M.S. Challenger During the Years 1873-1876, First Part: Porulosa (Spumellaria and Acantharia)
Ernst Haeckel
In Chelonia the ribs are generally combined with the carapace.
The Vertebrate Skeleton
Sidney H. Reynolds

British Dictionary definitions for carapace

carapace

noun

the thick hard shield, made of chitin or bone, that covers part of the body of crabs, lobsters, tortoises, etc

Word Origin

C19: from French, from Spanish carapacho, of unknown origin

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

Word Origin and History for carapace

n.

1836, from French carapace "tortoise shell" (18c.), from Spanish carapacho or Portuguese carapaça, of uncertain origin, perhaps somehow from Latin capa (see cape (n.1)).

carapace in Science

carapace

[kăr′ə-pās′]

A hard outer covering or shell made of bone or chitin on the back of animals such as turtles, armadillos, lobsters, and crabs.

carapace

Origin of .css-1fxfie5{font-size:22px;}@media (max-width:768px){.css-1fxfie5{font-size:18px;margin:0 10px 10px 0;word-break:break-all;word-wrap:break-word;-webkit-hyphens:auto;-moz-hyphens:auto;-ms-hyphens:auto;hyphens:auto;line-height:22px;}}carapace

Examples from the Web for carapace

Contemporary Examples

I walked back to my desk, keeping the satisfaction locked tight within a carapace of steely unconcern, and took in the scene.

It encases their loserdom in a carapace of purity and righteousness.

Ian McEwan: Well, I think one way… I think you have to develop a carapace of boringness.

Greater awareness of that would soften their carapace of greed.

Historical Examples

The arthropods in general were provided with a carapace; most of them were crustaceans.

At least three segments of the trunk are left uncovered by the carapace.

The last four or five segments of the trunk are free from the carapace.

The Monosphrida comprise all those Sphroidea in which the carapace is represented only by one single lattice-shell.

In Chelonia the ribs are generally combined with the carapace.

carapace

Word Origin

Word Origin and History for carapace

n.

carapace

Origin of carapace