cuticle

 
Pronunciation: /ˈkjuːtɪk(ə)l/

noun

  • 1the dead skin at the base of a fingernail or toenail: you’ve been gnawing at your cuticles
  • 2the outer cellular layer of a hair: the cuticle is the hair’s protective shield
  • 3 Botany & Zoology a protective and waxy or hard layer covering the epidermis of a plant, invertebrate, or shell: [count noun]: the body is covered with a non-living cuticle of chitin
  • Zoologyanother term for epidermis.

Derivatives

cuticular

Pronunciation: /-ˈtɪkjʊlə/
adjective

Origin:

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