periostracum

[ per-ee-os-truh-kuhm ]

noun,plural per·i·os·tra·ca

[per-ee-os-truh-kuh]. /ˌpɛr iˈɒs trə kə/.

the external, chitinlike covering of the shell of certain mollusks that protects the limy portion from acids.

Origin of periostracum

¹

1830–40; <New Latin, equivalent to peri-peri- + ostracum a shell <Greek óstrakon.See oyster

Other words from periostracum

per·i·os·tra·cal, adjective

Words Nearby periostracum

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

How to use periostracum in a sentence

Gray calls it the periostracum, from the membranous skin covering the bones of quadrupeds.
A Conchological Manual | George Brettingham Sowerby
The periostracum, or epidermis, is heavy and often velvety or even hairy.
The Sea-beach at Ebb-tide | Augusta Foote Arnold

Browse