carapace

[kar-uh-peys]

noun

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

carapace

/ ˈkærəˌpeɪs /

noun

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

carapace

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

Other Word Forms

• carapaced adjective
• carapacial adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of carapace¹

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

Word History and Origins

Origin of carapace¹

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

Example Sentences

The suit -- called a carapace -- is about 70% complete and covers each major region of the body.

Read more on Science Daily

"Turtle growth rates and sizes vary," says Cómbita-Romero, so the team looked at features like the thickness of its carapace and the spots where its ribs were knitting together into solid bone.

Read more on Science Daily

It had stubby limbs and a flattened carapace, suggesting that—unlike modern sea turtles—this ancient reptile lived along shallow coastlines.

Read more on Scientific American

Polished, urbane and preternaturally prepared, Cornwell’s sometimes mischievous demeanor forms a kind of shadow narrative, a fascinating carapace that Morris’s interrogatory arrows fail to fully pierce.

Read more on New York Times

The fossil is partial, with a relatively complete carapace - the turtle's shell - but not the rest of the skeleton.

Read more on Reuters

Related Words

• bark 
• coating 
• crust 
• fur 
• husk 
• jacket 
• membrane 
• rind 
• sheath 
• surface