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leptodermous (LEP-toh-der-muhs) - adj., having a thin skin.
pachydermous (PAK-i-der-muhs) - adj., having a thick skin.
osteodermous (OS-tee-oh-der-muhs) - adj., having a hard or bony skin, or bony inserts in the skin.
A thiplet, because two were on my list (added a couple weeks apart, but work with me here) and the third came up as I looked into things. The variant form osteodermatous is more common, but the variant leptodermatous is less common, while the variant pachydermatous comes up in botanical situations and pachydermous in zoological ones. Elephants and rhinos are, of course, pachyderms, as is someone with a metaphoric thick skin. There are many reptiles with osteoderms, such as crocodiles. Leptodermous is usually used botanically, as in seed pods that rupture easily. All three are from Greek roots -- leptos, thin / pachys, thick / osteo-, combining form of os, bone + derma, skin.
---L.
pachydermous (PAK-i-der-muhs) - adj., having a thick skin.
osteodermous (OS-tee-oh-der-muhs) - adj., having a hard or bony skin, or bony inserts in the skin.
A thiplet, because two were on my list (added a couple weeks apart, but work with me here) and the third came up as I looked into things. The variant form osteodermatous is more common, but the variant leptodermatous is less common, while the variant pachydermatous comes up in botanical situations and pachydermous in zoological ones. Elephants and rhinos are, of course, pachyderms, as is someone with a metaphoric thick skin. There are many reptiles with osteoderms, such as crocodiles. Leptodermous is usually used botanically, as in seed pods that rupture easily. All three are from Greek roots -- leptos, thin / pachys, thick / osteo-, combining form of os, bone + derma, skin.
---L.
