Main Entry: car·a·pace

Pronunciation: \ˈker-ə-ˌpās, ˈka-rə-\

Function: noun

Etymology: French, from Spanish carapacho

Date: 1836

1 : a bony or chitinous case or shield covering the back or part of the back of an animal (as a turtle or crab)
2 : a protective, decorative, or disguising shell <the carapace of reserve he built around himself — M. M. Mintz>