carapace
Synonym discussion
Sense: noun/1
Carapace is a technical word for the hard upper shell on animals such as turtles, crabs, and some insects. Shell is the everyday choice and works for many animals, eggs, and nuts, so it is much broader. Exoskeleton is the wider scientific term for an animal's outer supporting covering; it can include more than just the top shell. Armor is usually figurative or descriptive, often used when the covering seems strong or protective rather than when a scientist is naming body parts. A biologist might describe damage to a turtle's carapace, while a child would usually say the turtle's shell. In the same way, a beetle has an exoskeleton, but the shiny hard back plate can be described more specifically as its carapace.
Common collocations
Nouns
- turtle carapace
- crab carapace
- beetle carapace
Phrases
- hard carapace
- shiny carapace
Prepositions
- under the carapace
- on the carapace
Etymology
English borrowed carapace from French, probably through Spanish, where it referred to a hard shell or shield. The word has stayed close to that meaning in English and is still mainly used for the protective upper covering of animals such as turtles and crabs.
First known use
1836
1836, in the meaning defined at sense 1