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exuviae

American  
[ig-zoo-vee-ee, ik-soo-] / ɪgˈzu viˌi, ɪkˈsu- /

plural noun

  1. the cast skins, shells, or other coverings of animals.


exuviae British  
/ ɪɡˈzjuːvɪˌiː /

plural noun

  1. layers of skin or cuticle shed by animals during ecdysis

"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

Other Word Forms

  • exuvial adjective

Etymology

Origin of exuviae

First recorded in 1645–55; from Latin, derivative of exuere “to remove, strip off, divest oneself of,” from ex- ex- 1 + -uere “to put on”

Vocabulary lists containing exuviae

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.

On a recent pondside walk, Brand came upon various dragonfly exuviae — the outer casings of young dragonflies.

From Seattle Times • Aug. 11, 2022

The final step in the metamorphosis, if all goes well: The case splits open, and the winged creature molts, ready to take its first flight in pursuit of prey, leaving the exuviae behind.

From Seattle Times • Aug. 11, 2022

The researchers focused on exuviae and frass from crickets, mealworms and black soldier flies, said Katherine Barragán-Fonseca, a doctoral student at Wageningen University & Research and an author of the paper.

From New York Times • Mar. 2, 2022

After experimenting with different ratios of frass and exuviae from different insects, Ms. Barragán-Fonseca finalized a powdered mixture.

From New York Times • Mar. 2, 2022

Broken sea shells and other exuviae of marine animals are apparent throughout the whole mass.

From An Account of the English Colony in New South Wales, Volume 2 by Collins, David