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nounthe exterior protective or supporting structure or shell of many animals (especially invertebrates) including bony or horny parts such as nails or scales or hoofs
Definition that contains exoskeleton
- crustacean any mainly aquatic arthropod usually having a segmented body and chitinous exoskeleton
- trilobite an extinct arthropod that was abundant in Paleozoic times; had an exoskeleton divided into three parts
- arthropod invertebrate having jointed limbs and a segmented body with an exoskeleton made of chitin
- chitin a tough semitransparent horny substance; the principal component of the exoskeletons of arthropods and the cell walls of certain fungi
- apodeme ridge-like ingrowth of the exoskeleton of an arthropod that supports internal organs and provides attachment points for muscles
- denticle small pointed ridge on the exoskeleton of an arthropod
- sclerite hard plate or element of the exoskeleton of some arthropods