cuticle

[kyoo-ti-kuh l]

noun

the nonliving epidermis that surrounds the edges of the fingernail or toenail.

the epidermis.

a superficial integument, membrane, or the like.

Also called cuticula. Zoology. the outer, noncellular layer of the arthropod integument, composed of a mixture of chitin and protein and commonly containing other hardening substances as well.

Botany. a very thin hyaline film covering the surface of plants, derived from the outer surfaces of the epidermal cells.

Origin of cuticle

1605–15; < Latin cutīcula the skin, equivalent to cuti(s) skin, cutis + -cula -cle¹

Related formscu·tic·u·lar

[kyoo-tik-yuh-ler] /kyuˈtɪk yə lər/, adjectivesub·cu·tic·u·lar, adjective

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for cuticle

Historical Examples of cuticle

The pileus is without a cuticle, consisting of interwoven fibres.
The Mushroom, Edible and Otherwise
M. E. Hard
By mechanical attraction, as when water softens the cuticle.
Zoonomia, Vol. II
Erasmus Darwin
The horn of the hoof is merely a modification of the cuticle (scarf skin).
The Horsewoman
Alice M. Hayes
I find that blood follows the scalpel as I cut through the cuticle.
Peck's Bad Boy and His Pa
George W. Peck
As the disease subsides, the cuticle comes off (desquamates) in patches.
An Epitome of Homeopathic Healing Art
B. L. Hill

British Dictionary definitions for cuticle

cuticle

noun

dead skin, esp that round the base of a fingernail or toenail

another name for epidermis

any covering layer or membrane

the protective layer, containing cutin, that covers the epidermis of higher plants

the hard protective layer covering the epidermis of many invertebrates

Derived Formscuticular (kjuːˈtɪkjʊlə), adjective

Word Origin for cuticle

C17: from Latin cutīcula diminutive of cutis skin

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 cuticle

1610s, from Latin cuticula, diminutive of cutis "skin," from PIE *ku-ti-, from root *(s)keu- "to cover, conceal" (cf. Lithuanian kiautas "husk," Old English hyd "skin, hide;" see hide (n.1)). Specialized sense of "skin at the base of the nail" is from 1907. Related: Cuticular.

cuticle in Medicine

cuticle

[kyōō′tĭ-kəl]

n.

The strip of hardened skin at the base and sides of a fingernail or toenail.

The outermost layer of the skin; epidermis.

Dead or cornified epidermis.

cuticle in Science

cuticle

[kyōō′tĭ-kəl]

The noncellular, hardened or membranous protective covering of many invertebrates, such as the transparent membrane that covers annelids.

A layer of wax and cutin that covers the outermost surfaces of a plant. The cuticle is secreted by the epidermis and helps prevent water loss and infection by parasites.

The hard skin around the sides and base of a fingernail or toenail.