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>