Dictionary

carapace

noun car·a·pace \ˈker-ə-ˌpās, ˈka-rə-\

: a hard shell on the back of some animals (such as turtles or crabs)

Full Definition of CARAPACE

1
:  a bony or chitinous case or shield covering the back or part of the back of an animal (as a turtle or crab)
2
:  a protective, decorative, or disguising shell <the carapace of reserve he built around himself — M. M. Mintz>
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Origin of CARAPACE

French, from Spanish carapacho
First Known Use: 1836

Other Zoology Terms

altruism, integument

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