cuticle

Plural: cuticles

Noun

• The outer protective layer of an organism, especially skin or hair.
• the dead skin at the base of a fingernail or toenail
• the outer layer of the skin covering the exterior body surface of vertebrates
• hard outer covering or case of certain organisms such as arthropods and turtles
• The outermost layer of the skin of vertebrates; the epidermis.
• The strip of hardened skin at the base and sides of a fingernail or toenail.
• Dead or cornified epidermis.
• A noncellular protective covering outside the epidermis of many invertebrates and plants.
• A thin skin formed on the surface of a liquid.

Examples

• He examined every CUTICLE of the board, looking for a hidden word.

Synonyms

carapace, epidermis, shell, shield, cuticula

Related Words

nail, quick, thumbnail, toenail