exoskeleton
Americannoun
noun
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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.
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Compare endoskeleton
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of exoskeleton
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Vocabulary lists containing exoskeleton
Animals (Zoology) - Introductory
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Animals (Zoology) - Middle School
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Biology-Structure and Function - Introductory
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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.
Companies have also developed new products for the older population, including a powered exoskeleton to support moving various parts of the body and eyewear that automatically adjusts its focus.
From BBC ● Sep. 15, 2026
The street has become such a maze that it’s unclear what’s even there, resulting in a series of “Businesses Open” signs assuring the public that something still exists inside the chain-link exoskeleton.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 14, 2026
The exoskeleton made me feel like I had infinite endurance so I kept going, and my other muscles paid the price.
From The Wall Street Journal ● May 21, 2026
Termites wear their support system on the outside in the form of an exoskeleton.
From Science Daily ● May 9, 2026
“A mouse genetically modified with a hard exoskeleton that it can shed and leave anywhere!”
From "Boy 2.0" by Tracey Baptiste
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.
