chitin
Americannoun
noun
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Etymology
Origin of chitin
1830–40; < French chitine < Greek chit ( ṓn ) tunic, chiton + French -ine -in 2
Compare meaning
How does chitin compare to similar and commonly confused words? Explore the most common comparisons:
Vocabulary lists containing chitin
Biochemistry
Looking to grow your vocabulary? Check out this interactive, curated word list from our team of English language specialists at Vocabulary.com – one of over 17,000 lists we've built to help learners worldwide!
"The Hermit's Story," Vocabulary from the short story
Interested in learning more words like this one? Our team at Vocabulary.com has got you covered! You can review flashcards, quiz yourself, practice spelling, and more – and it's all completely free to use!
Microbiology - High School
Want to remember this word for good? Start your learning journey today with our library of interactive, themed word lists built by the experts at Vocabulary.com – we'll help you make the most of your study time!
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Chitin is the primary building material both for the exoskeleton of insects and for the bristles of bristle worms such as the marine annelid worm Platynereis dumerilii.
From Science Daily • May 13, 2024
Chitin is the second most abundant biological polymer on Earth, with an estimated 100 billion tons produced each year by fungi or creatures like insects and crustaceans, second to cellulose which is created by plants.
From Science Daily • Feb. 21, 2024
Chitin is also a major component of the cell walls of fungi, the kingdom that includes molds and mushrooms.
From Textbooks • Jun. 9, 2022
Chitin is a polymer made of modified sugars that is also found in the external skeletons of insects.
From Textbooks • Jan. 1, 2018
Chitin, a white horny substance found in the exoskeleton of several invertebrate animals.
From The Nuttall Encyclopædia Being a Concise and Comprehensive Dictionary of General Knowledge by Nuttall, P. Austin
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
