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sclerite

[ skleer-ahyt, skler- ]
/ ˈsklɪər aɪt, ˈsklɛr- /
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noun Zoology.

any chitinous, calcareous, or similar hard part, plate, spicule, or the like.

Nearby words

sclereid, sclerema, sclerema neonatorum, sclerenchyma, scleriritomy, sclerite, scleritic, scleritis, sclero-, sclero-oophoritis, scleroatrophy

Origin of sclerite

First recorded in 1860–65; scler- + -ite1
Related formsscle·rit·ic [skli-rit-ik] /sklɪˈrɪt ɪk/, adjective
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for sclerite

British Dictionary definitions for sclerite

sclerite

/ (ˈsklɪəraɪt) /

noun zoology

any of the hard chitinous plates that make up the exoskeleton of an arthropod
any calcareous or chitinous part, such as a spicule or plate
Derived Formsscleritic (sklɪəˈrɪtɪk), adjective

Word Origin for sclerite

C19: from sclero- + -ite 1
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