This shows grade level based on the word's complexity.
elytron
[ el-i-tron ]
/ ˈɛl ɪˌtrɒn /
Save This Word!
This shows grade level based on the word's complexity.
noun, plural el·y·tra [el-i-truh]. /ˈɛl ɪ trə/.
one of the pair of hardened forewings of certain insects, as beetles, forming a protective covering for the posterior or flight wings.
QUIZ
QUIZ YOURSELF ON “ITS” VS. “IT’S”!
Apostrophes can be tricky; prove you know the difference between "it’s" and "its" in this crafty quiz!
Question 1 of 8
On the farm, the feed for chicks is significantly different from the roosters’; ______ not even comparable.
Also called wing case, wing cover.
Origin of elytron
1745–55; <New Latin <Greek élytron a covering
OTHER WORDS FROM elytron
el·y·trous [el-i-truhs], /ˈɛl ɪ trəs/, adjectiveWords nearby elytron
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2022
How to use elytron in a sentence
It is black, hairy, with a large yellowish spot at the base of each elytron, and two transverse bands of the same colour.
The Insect World|Louis FiguierComplicant: when one elytron extends over the other and partially covers it.
Explanation of Terms Used in Entomology|John. B. SmithAxis: a small process at base of elytron, upon which it turns.
Explanation of Terms Used in Entomology|John. B. SmithSometimes the glands are found beneath the disk of the elytron, opening by pores on the surface.
British Dictionary definitions for elytron
elytron
elytrum (ˈɛlɪtrəm)
/ (ˈɛlɪˌtrɒn) /
noun plural -tra (-trə)
either of the horny front wings of beetles and some other insects, which cover and protect the hind wings
Derived forms of elytron
elytroid or elytrous, adjectiveWord Origin for elytron
C18: from Greek elutron sheath, covering
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
Scientific definitions for elytron
elytron
[ ĕl′ĭ-trŏn′ ]
Plural elytra
Either of the modified forewings of a beetle or related insect that encase the thin hind wings used in flight.
The American Heritage® Science Dictionary
Copyright © 2011. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.