plastron

American  

[plas-truhn] / ˈplæs trən /

noun

1. a piece of plate armor for the upper part of the torso in front.

2. Fencing. a quilted pad worn over part of the torso, for protection.

3. an ornamental front piece of a woman's bodice.

4. the starched front of a shirt.

5. Zoology. the ventral part of the shell of a turtle.

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plastron British  

/ ˈplæstrən /

noun

1. the bony plate forming the ventral part of the shell of a tortoise or turtle

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Other Word Forms

• plastral adjective

Etymology

Origin of plastron

1500–10; < Middle French < Italian piastrone, augmentative of piastra metal plate, piaster. See plaster

Example Sentences

Researchers have known for 20 years that a stable, underwater plastron was theoretically possible but, until now, haven't been able to show it experimentally.

From Science Daily • Oct. 4, 2023

The cotton poplin plastron shirt took 11 hours to make, according to the French house.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 25, 2018

The plastron is made of scutes or plates; the scutes can be used to differentiate species of turtles.

From Textbooks • Jan. 1, 2015

It’s perfectly normal for some tortoise species to have a penis that is half the length, or more, of the plastron.

From Scientific American • Jun. 9, 2012

Adult box turtles, when walking, characteristically carry the forelobe of the plastron slightly flexed.

From Natural History of the Ornate Box Turtle, Terrapene ornata ornata Agassiz by Legler, John M.