carapace

American  

[kar-uh-peys] / ˈkær əˌpeɪs /

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.

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carapace British  

/ ˈkærəˌpeɪs /

noun

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

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carapace Scientific  

/ kăr′ə-pās′ /

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

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Other Word Forms

• carapaced adjective
• carapacial adjective

Etymology

Origin of carapace

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

Example Sentences

"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.

From Science Daily • Dec. 7, 2023

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

From Scientific American • Oct. 22, 2023

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.

From New York Times • Oct. 19, 2023

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

From Reuters • Sep. 28, 2023

If your carapace looks a little like a face, they will throw you back.

From "Cosmos" by Carl Sagan

Related Words

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