squama

[ skwey-muh ]

noun

, plural squa·mae [skwey, -mee].

1. a scale or scalelike part, as of epidermis or bone.

squama

/ ˈskweɪmə; ˈskweɪmeɪt /

noun

1. biology a scale or scalelike structure

Derived Forms

• squamate, adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of squama¹

First recorded in 1700–10, squama is from the Latin word squāma scale

Word History and Origins

Origin of squama¹

C18: from Latin

Example Sentences

At seventy the squama of the temporal bone unites with the parietal, and at eighty the entire cranium has become a single bone.

From Project Gutenberg

Calypter: Diptera; the alula or squama when it covers the haltere.

From Project Gutenberg