chiton

American  

[kahyt-n, kahy-ton] / ˈkaɪt n, ˈkaɪ tɒn /

noun

1. Also called sea cradle.  a mollusk of the class Amphineura, having a mantle covered with calcareous plates, found adhering to rocks.

2. a gown or tunic, with or without sleeves, worn in ancient Greece.

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chiton British  

/ ˈkaɪtən, -tɒn /

noun

1. (in ancient Greece and Rome) a loose woollen tunic worn knee length by men and full length by women

2. Also called: coat-of-mail shell.  any small primitive marine mollusc of the genus Chiton and related genera, having an elongated body covered with eight overlapping shell plates: class Amphineura

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Etymology

Origin of chiton

First recorded in 1810–20; from Greek chitṓn “tunic,” from Semitic (compare Hebrew kuttōneth “tunic”); ultimately from Sumerian

Example Sentences

And when it comes to experiments, "chitons don't really have a reason to cooperate with you, so figuring out how to ask a chiton what it's looking at is a hard task."

From Science Daily • Mar. 4, 2024

I found a cantaloupe-color, fist-size chiton that a gull had snacked on.

From Seattle Times • Mar. 29, 2018

A professor held the tongue plate of a chiton, a type of mollusk, and dragged it around with a bar magnet.

From Science Magazine • Jun. 23, 2016

The photo shows a chiton, which has an oval body with plate-like armor divided into segments.

From Textbooks • Jan. 1, 2015

She wore a green chiton and laced sandals, and she was dabbing her eyes with a handkerchief.

From "The Battle of the Labyrinth" by Rick Riordan

Related Words

• blouse
• coat
• jacket
• robe