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epicuticle

American  
[ep-i-kyoo-ti-kuhl] / ˌɛp ɪˈkyu tɪ kəl /

noun

  1. the thin, waxy outer layer of the insect exoskeleton.

epicuticle British  
/ ˈɛpɪˌkjuːtɪkəl /

noun

  1. botany a waxy layer on the surface of the cuticle

  2. zoology the outermost lipoprotein layer of the insect cuticle

"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

Etymology

Origin of epicuticle

First recorded in 1925–30; epi- + cuticle

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.

It is made up of two layers: the epicuticle, which is a thin, waxy water-resistant outer layer containing no chitin, and the layer beneath it, the chitinous procuticle.

From Textbooks • Jan. 1, 2015

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.