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cuticle

Syllabification: (cu·ti·cle)
Pronunciation: /ˈkyo͞otikəl/

Translate cuticle | into Italian | into Spanish
Definition of cuticle

noun

  • 1the outer layer of living tissue, in particular.
  • Botany & Zoology a protective and waxy or hard layer covering the epidermis of a plant, invertebrate, or shell.
  • the outer cellular layer of a hair.
  • Zoologyanother term for epidermis.
  • 2the dead skin at the base of a fingernail or toenail.

Derivatives

cuticular

Pronunciation: /kyo͞oˈtikyələr/

adjective

Origin:

late 15th century (denoting a membrane of the body): from Latin cuticula, diminutive of cutis 'skin'

cuticle in other Oxford dictionaries

Definition of cuticle in the British & World English dictionary

Nearby words

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