squamation

[ skwey-mey-shuhn ]

/ skweɪˈmeɪ ʃən /

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noun

the state of being squamate.

the arrangement of the squamae or scales of an animal.

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Origin of squamation

First recorded in 1880–85; squam- + -ation

Words nearby squamation

squally, squalor, squam-, squama, squamate, squamation, squamiform, Squamish, squamo-, squamosal, squamous

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

How to use squamation in a sentence

The characteristics of fin rays, scales, and squamation of cheeks and gill-covers apply equally to both species.
Bass, Pike, Perch, and Others|James Alexander Henshall
Considerably more variation occurs in color and in the arrangement of markings than in squamation.
A New Snake of the Genus Geophis From Chihuahua, Mexico|John M. Legler

British Dictionary definitions for squamation

squamation

/ (skweɪˈmeɪʃən) /

noun

the condition of having or forming scales or squamae

the arrangement of scales in fishes or reptiles

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