carapace

noun

car·​a·​pace ˈker-ə-ˌpās 

ˈka-rə-

1

: a bony or chitinous case or shield covering the back or part of the back of an animal (such as a turtle or crab)

2

: a protective, decorative, or disguising shell

the carapace of reserve he built around himself

—M. M. Mintz

Examples of carapace in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Effortlessly, unabashedly learned; tender beneath its professorial carapace; vaguely excessive. —Dan Piepenbring, Harper's Magazine, 14 Dec. 2023

Black burn marks on some of the crab carapaces and pincers indicate that the crustaceans were subjected to temperatures up to 600 to 900 degrees Fahrenheit, indicative of being roasted on coals. —Ryan McRae, Smithsonian Magazine, 28 Dec. 2023

At La Scala, Ratmansky’s original choreography makes details and nuances of the story pop, as if a carapace of formulaic interpretation has been cracked open. —Roslyn Sulcas, New York Times, 18 Dec. 2023

Cracks in the Will and Jada carapace became more pronounced. —Helena Andrews-Dyer, Washington Post, 27 Oct. 2023

But Groff is an actor who’s able to communicate hurt and humanity even through a carapace of ego and moral deficiency. —Sara Holdren, Vulture, 10 Oct. 2023

Abbas sees fluidity beneath the regime’s hard carapace and optimistically suggests that a Western policy of engagement could push the Taliban toward pragmatism. —Hassan Abbas, Foreign Affairs, 22 Aug. 2023

The limit on blue crabs is one 5-gallon bucket per day with a 5-inch minimum carapace (shell point to point). —David Rainer Alabama Department Of Conservation and Natural Resources, al, 10 Aug. 2023

Next came the carapace of an enormous crab, a creature whose claws are often the only part consumed. —Betsy Andrews, Travel + Leisure, 29 July 2023

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Word History

Etymology

French, from Spanish carapacho

First Known Use

1836, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Kids Definition

carapace

noun

car·​a·​pace ˈkar-ə-ˌpās 

: a bony or horny case or shield covering all or part of the back of an animal (as a turtle)