Desquamation
/ˌdɛskwəˈmeɪʃən/noun
The shedding or peeling off of the outer layer of skin or another surface.
Did you know?Desquamation comes from Latin *desquamare*, literally “to scrape off scales,” from *de-* (“off”) + *squama* (“scale”), so the word began as a vivid image of something being stripped like fish skin.
Etymological Timeline
Latin
Latin
squama
“a scale, especially of a fish or serpent”
Latin
Latin
desquamare
“to scrape off scales; to peel off”
Late Latin
Latin
desquamatio
“a scraping off, scaling”
16th–17th Century
French
desquamation
“a peeling or scaling off of skin”
Modern English
English
desquamation
“shedding of the outer layer of skin or a surface”