scutellum

noun

scu·​tel·​lum skü-ˈte-ləm 

skyü-

plural scutella skü-ˈte-lə 

skyü-

1

: a hard plate or scale (as on the thorax of an insect or the tarsus of a bird)

2

: the shield-shaped cotyledon of a monocotyledon (such as a grass)

scutellar

skü-ˈte-lər 

skyü-

adjective

Examples of scutellum in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Shield Bugs Found globally, these insects are named for their outsized scutellum, from the Latin word scutum, meaning shield. —National Geographic, 23 June 2018

Word History

Etymology

New Latin, diminutive of Latin scutum shield

First Known Use

1819, in the meaning defined at sense 1