Cutaneous
/ˌkjuːˈteɪniəs/noun
Relating to the skin.
Did you know?Cutaneous entered English through Latin scientific writing, ultimately from a Proto-Indo-European root meaning “to cover,” which is why the word’s deepest history is literally about a protective layer.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*teḱ-
“to make, build, construct; to fashion a covering”
Latin
Latin
cutis
“skin, hide”
Late Latin
Latin
cutaneus
“of the skin”
16th Century
English
cutaneus
“of or pertaining to the skin, especially in medical writing”
Modern English
English
cutaneous
“relating to the skin”