integument
Apr. 30th, 2009 07:18 amintegument - n., a natural outer covering or coat, such as a skin, rind, shell, or membrane.
In use, especially in natural science, since c. 1610. Stress on the second syllable. From Latin integumentum, a covering, from integere, to cover, from in-, on + tegere, to cover, which is either borrowed from or from the same IE root as Greek stegos, roof. Which means that -tegu- is from the same source as the stego- in stegosaurus. Ha!
---L.
In use, especially in natural science, since c. 1610. Stress on the second syllable. From Latin integumentum, a covering, from integere, to cover, from in-, on + tegere, to cover, which is either borrowed from or from the same IE root as Greek stegos, roof. Which means that -tegu- is from the same source as the stego- in stegosaurus. Ha!
---L.