exoskeleton

[ ek-soh-skel-i-tn ]

/ ˌɛk soʊˈskɛl ɪ tn /

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noun Zoology.

an external covering or integument, especially when hard, as the shells of crustaceans (opposed to endoskeleton).

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Origin of exoskeleton

First recorded in 1840–50; exo- + skeleton

OTHER WORDS FROM exoskeleton

ex·o·skel·e·tal, adjective

Words nearby exoskeleton

exorcise, exorcism, exorcist, exorcize, exordium, exoskeleton, exosmosis, exosphere, exospore, exosporium, exostosis

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use exoskeleton in a sentence

What’s happening, Boyes explains, isn’t that the caterpillars are actually ending their growth with more meat in their exoskeleton.
Streetlights are making caterpillars grow up faster—and that’s a bad thing|Philip Kiefer|August 25, 2021|Popular-Science
Fossil exoskeletons of whole beetles lack the joints needed to fully classify them.
New beetle species found in fossil poop of this dino relative|Nikk Ogasa|August 12, 2021|Science News For Students
The whole beetles’ fossilized exoskeletons lacked the joints needed for classification, but by piecing together the fragmented beetles, the researchers were able to reconstruct these features.
Fossilized dung from a dinosaur ancestor yields a new beetle species|Nikk Ogasa|June 30, 2021|Science News
I eat cicadas that are alive with fluttering wings, dead cicadas that are stiff and dried-out, partially molted cicadas frozen in their exoskeletons, and I especially enjoy eating moist cicada nymphs fresh out of the ground.
My name is Max, and I have a cicada problem|Kevin Ambrose|May 28, 2021|Washington Post

In addition to littering the ground with exoskeletons, in their frenzied quest for mates, cicadas make a ton of noise.
Watch Sir David Attenborough seduce a cicada with the snap of his fingers|Brian Resnick|May 21, 2021|Vox
Today anyone (with the budget) can buy a ReWalk Robotic Exoskeleton for roughly $85,000.
The Bionic Exoskeleton Helping Paraplegics Walk|Dr. Anand Veeravagu, MD|June 29, 2014|DAILY BEAST
The exoskeleton in Brazil was described as “mind-controlled,” but it is important to understand exactly what that means.
The Bionic Exoskeleton Helping Paraplegics Walk|Dr. Anand Veeravagu, MD|June 29, 2014|DAILY BEAST
A key concept with an exoskeleton is that it restores control to the user.
The Bionic Exoskeleton Helping Paraplegics Walk|Dr. Anand Veeravagu, MD|June 29, 2014|DAILY BEAST
The term exoskeleton refers to the hard outer shell found on insects and certain animals like grasshoppers and crabs.
The Bionic Exoskeleton Helping Paraplegics Walk|Dr. Anand Veeravagu, MD|June 29, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Another strategy to restore walking is to use an exoskeleton.
Electric Stimulation and Rigorous Physical Therapy Show Promise for Paralysis Patients|Dr. Anand Veeravagu, MD, Tej Azad|April 10, 2014|DAILY BEAST
This exoskeleton differs from the main or axial skeleton of the higher animals, the latter being inside of the body.
A Civic Biology|George William Hunter
The exoskeleton is composed of plates of carbonate of lime, called ossicles, which cover the surface of the body.
The Sea-beach at Ebb-tide|Augusta Foote Arnold
Exoskeleton: Outside framework or support, differing from a true skeleton which lies inside the body.
The Sea-beach at Ebb-tide|Augusta Foote Arnold
The exoskeleton as in the Heterostraci consists of shields and scales, the shields being divisible into three layers.
The Vertebrate Skeleton|Sidney H. Reynolds
The exoskeleton is formed of bony plates, the dorsal and ventral shields each consisting of several symmetrically arranged pieces.
The Vertebrate Skeleton|Sidney H. Reynolds

British Dictionary definitions for exoskeleton

exoskeleton

/ (ˌɛksəʊˈskɛlɪtən) /

noun

the protective or supporting structure covering the outside of the body of many animals, such as the thick cuticle of arthropodsCompare endoskeleton

Derived forms of exoskeleton

exoskeletal, adjective

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 exoskeleton

exoskeleton

[ ĕk′sō-skĕl′ĭ-tn ]

A hard, protective outer body covering of an animal, such as an insect, crustacean, or mollusk. The exoskeletons of insects and crustaceans are largely made of chitin. Compare endoskeleton.