Tegument
/ˈtɛɡ.jʊ.mənt/noun
An outer covering, especially the skin or protective layer of an organism or structure.
Did you know?Tegument comes from Latin tegumentum, meaning “a covering,” from tegere, “to cover,” the same root behind words for roofs, protection, and hidden things.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*teg-
“to cover, protect”
Latin
Latin
tegere
“to cover, conceal, shelter”
Latin
Latin
tegumentum
“a covering, covering garment, protective layer”
Late Middle English
English
tegument
“a covering or envelope”
Modern English
English
tegument
“an outer covering, especially skin or a membrane”