sclerite

American

[skleer-ahyt, skler-] / ˈsklɪər aɪt, ˈsklɛr- /

noun

Zoology.

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

sclerite British

/ ˈsklɪəraɪt /

noun

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

"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

scleritic

adjective

Etymology

Origin of sclerite

First recorded in 1860–65; scler- + -ite ¹

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.

See Examples For:

sclerite

Jugular sclerite: small sclerite in the membrane connecting the head with the thorax: see cervical sclerite.

From Explanation of Terms Used in Entomology by John. B. Smith

Appendicle: a small appendix: in some bees, a small sclerite at tip of labrum.

From Explanation of Terms Used in Entomology by John. B. Smith

Opisthosoma without post-anal sclerite and posterior caudal elongation: with frequently a pair of small lobate appendages on the sternum of the 3rd somite.

From Encyclopaedia Britannica, 11th Edition, Volume 2, Slice 3 "Apollodorus" to "Aral" by Various

Subgalea: a maxillary sclerite or segment, attached to the stipes, and bearing the galea or outer lobe.

From Explanation of Terms Used in Entomology by John. B. Smith

Pilifer or Piliger: a small sclerite at each side of the clypeus in Lepidoptera, resembling a rudimentary mandible.

From Explanation of Terms Used in Entomology by John. B. Smith

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Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023