Exoskeleton
/ˌɛk.soʊˈskɛl.ə.tən/noun
A hard external supporting structure, especially the outer covering of an arthropod.
Did you know?The word is a modern scientific coinage built from Greek exo- meaning “outside” and skeleton, originally “dried body” or “mummy,” so the “skeleton” part began as a word for something stripped bare.
Etymological Timeline
Ancient Greek
Greek
ἔξω (exō)
“outside, outward”
Ancient Greek
Greek
σκελετός (skeletos)
“dried up, dried body; later a skeleton”
16th Century
Latin
exoskeletonum
“modern scientific formation combining Greek elements”
19th Century
English
exoskeleton
“an external skeleton or hard outer framework”
Modern English
English
exoskeleton
“the hard outer covering or supporting structure of an animal or device”