Definition of carapace
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
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Recent Examples of carapace from the Web
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The insides of the females’ carapaces are lined with thousands of tiny pale green eggs — the reason for tonight’s festivities.
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The drawn and quartered crab is packed into the upturned bowl of its carapace.
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Jemima Dutra’s costumes capture shifts in character, as the budding suffragette Cannon takes to wearing pants while the soured-by-love Shaw dons a conservative suit like a carapace.
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Using materials taken from construction rather than closets (at a guess: insulation, cotton wadding, rug liners, paper bags and wallpaper) Ms. Kawakubo began with a basic dress carapace in the shape of classical statuary — after the arms fell off.
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The spider’s abdomen turns from blue to pink or red and the carapace becomes metallic green.
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With the distinctive starlike markings on its carapace, or shell, the tortoise is popular as an exotic pet.
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Florida softshell turtles grow up to two-feet long and look a bit like pancakes, with their flat carapace that’s cloaked in leathery skin.
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Black, sleek, and oblong, the rig resembles the carapace of a xenomorph alien.
These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'carapace.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Origin and Etymology of carapace
French, from Spanish carapacho
Other Zoology Terms
CARAPACE Defined for English Language Learners
carapace
playDefinition of carapace for English Language Learners
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: a hard shell on the back of some animals (such as turtles or crabs)
Learn More about carapace
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See words that rhyme with carapace Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about carapace
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