integument

[in-teg-yuh-muhnt]

noun

1. a natural covering, as a skin, shell, or rind.

   Synonyms: involucrum, involucre, cortex, cortex

2. any covering, coating, enclosure, etc.

integument

/ ɪnˈtɛɡjʊmənt /

noun

1. the protective layer around an ovule that becomes the seed coat

2. the outer protective layer or covering of an animal, such as skin or a cuticle

integument

1. A natural outer covering of an animal or plant or of one of its parts, such as skin, a shell, or the part of a plant ovule that develops into a seed coat.

Other Word Forms

• integumental adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of integument¹

First recorded in 1605–15; from Latin integumentum “covering, shield, guard”; in- ², tegument

Word History and Origins

Origin of integument¹

C17: from Latin integumentum, from tegere to cover

Example Sentences

Similar to a hypodermic needle, a nematode uses its stylet to pierce cells and pull out food -- in this case from the pseudoscorpion's hypodermis, part of the outer covering known as the integument.

Read more on Science Daily

They called the outer coat a cupule and proposed that it was the precursor to the outer coat, or integument, of angiosperm seeds.

Read more on Science Magazine

To get multiple specimens of a synapsid with integument is a big deal.

Read more on Scientific American

To grow old, though, is not only a chronological fact but also an inevitability of fading powers and sagging integument.

Read more on New York Times

And in each case, the only integument known from these dinosaurs were blotches of scaly skin from areas of the neck, hips, and tail.

Read more on Scientific American

When To Use

What does integument mean?

An integument is a natural coating, like skin, a shell, or a rind.The word can refer generally to any coating or covering, but it is primarily used to refer to the outer layer of natural things, like animals and plants. In humans, integument is a technical word for the skin, especially in the context of anatomy and medicine.The adjective form of integument is integumentary, which is especially used in the term integumentary system to refer to the system of the human body that includes the skin and related things, like hair and nails.Example: The integuments of animals and plants are very different, but they often serve similar purposes.