Polyderm
/ˈpɒl.i.dɜːm/noun
An organism or structure characterized by multiple layers of skin or dermal tissue.
Did you know?Its second element, Greek derma, comes from derō, meaning “to flay” or “strip the skin,” linking modern skin terminology to an ancient act of peeling flesh.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*polh₁ús
“Many or much; the ancestral source of Greek polys.”
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*derh₁-
“To split, peel, or flay; the root associated with Greek derō, “to flay.””
Ancient Greek
Greek
πολύς (polys)
“Many, numerous, or much.”
Ancient Greek
Greek
δέρμα (derma)
“Skin, hide, or peeled skin.”
19th Century
Scientific English
polyderm
“A technical formation meaning “many-skinned” or having multiple dermal layers.”