cuticle

cuticle
—cuticular /kyooh tik"yeuh leuhr/, adj.
/kyooh"ti keuhl/, n.
1. the nonliving epidermis that surrounds the edges of the fingernail or toenail.
2. the epidermis.
3. a superficial integument, membrane, or the like.
4. Also called cuticula. Zool. the outer, noncellular layer of the arthropod integument, composed of a mixture of chitin and protein and commonly containing other hardening substances as well.
5. Bot. a very thin hyaline film covering the surface of plants, derived from the outer surfaces of the epidermal cells.
[1605-15; < L cuticula the skin, equiv. to cuti(s) skin, CUTIS + -cula -CLE1]

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      the outer layer or part of an organism that comes in contact with the environment. In many invertebrates the dead, noncellular cuticle is secreted by the epidermis. This layer may, as in the arthropods, contain pigments and chitin; in humans the cuticle is the epidermis.

      In some higher plants, the cuticle is a water-impervious protective layer covering the epidermal cells of leaves and other parts and limiting water loss. It consists of cutin, a waxy, water-repellent substance allied to suberin, which is found in the cell walls of corky tissue. Cutin is especially noticeable on many fruits—e.g., apple, nectarine, and cherry, which can be buffed to a high gloss. carnauba wax is derived from the cuticles of the leaves of Copernicia cerifera, a Brazilian palm.

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Universalium. 2010.

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  • Cuticle — Cu ti*cle (k[=u] t[i^]*k l), n. [L. cuticula, dim. of cutis skin; akin to E. hide skin of an animal.] 1. (Anat.) The scarfskin or epidermis. See {Skin}. [1913 Webster] 2. (Bot.) The outermost skin or pellicle of a plant, found especially in… …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • cuticle — 1610s, from L. cuticula, dim. of cutis skin, from PIE *ku ti , from root * (s)keu to cover, conceal (Cf. Lith. kiautas husk, O.E. hyd skin, hide; see HIDE (Cf. hide) (n.1)). Specialized sense of s …   Etymology dictionary

  • cuticle — ► NOUN 1) dead skin at the base of a fingernail or toenail. 2) the epidermis of the body. 3) a protective layer covering the epidermis of a plant or invertebrate. DERIVATIVES cuticular adjective. ORIGIN from Latin cuticula little skin …   English terms dictionary

  • cuticle — [kyo͞ot′i kəl] n. [L cuticula, skin, dim. < cutis, skin < IE base * (s)keu t , to cover > HIDE2] 1. the outer layer of the skin; epidermis 2. hardened skin, such as accumulates at the base and sides of a fingernail 3. Bot. a delicate,… …   English World dictionary

  • Cuticle — A cuticle (pronounced /ˈkjuːtɪkəl/), or cuticula, is a term used for any of a variety of tough but flexible, non mineral outer coverings of an organism, or parts of an organism, that provide protection. Various types of cuticles are non… …   Wikipedia

  • cuticle — UK [ˈkjuːtɪk(ə)l] / US [ˈkjutɪk(ə)l] noun [countable] Word forms cuticle : singular cuticle plural cuticles a layer of hard skin at the base of a nail on a finger or toe …   English dictionary

  • Cuticle (disambiguation) — Cuticle, or cuticula (Latin for covering ), may refer to: Plant cuticle, or cuticula, a waxy polymeric film covering all aerial plant surfaces Cuticle (nail), in human anatomy, the fold of skin at the proximal end of the nail Cuticula… …   Wikipedia

  • Cuticle (hair) — The hair cuticle is the outermost part of the hair shaft.[1] It is a hard shingle like layer of overlapping cells, some five to twelve deep. It is formed from dead cells which form scales that gives the hair shaft strength and do the best job of… …   Wikipedia

  • cuticle — noun Etymology: Latin cuticula, diminutive of cutis skin more at hide Date: 1615 1. an outer covering layer: as a. an external envelope (as of an insect) secreted usually by epidermal cells b. the outermost layer of an …   New Collegiate Dictionary

  • cuticle — См. cuticula …   Dictionary of invertebrate zoology

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