exoskeleton
noun
exo·skel·e·ton
ˌek-sō-ˈske-lə-tən 
1
: an external supportive covering of an animal (such as an arthropod)
2
: bony or horny parts of a vertebrate produced from epidermal tissues
3
: an artificial external supporting structure
Examples of exoskeleton in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
How about design flaws of those animatronic exoskeletons?) and a motley crew of vandals bent on sabotage.
—
Jen Yamato, Los Angeles Times, 27 Oct. 2023
University of Maryland researchers are changing the way people look at those thin exoskeletons — investigating the feasibility of putting them to work in an innovative battery.
—Abigail Gruskin, Baltimore Sun, 21 June 2023
Every so often, their legs curl and their spinnerets twitch—and the retinas of their eyes, visible through their translucent exoskeletons, shift back and forth.
—Carolyn Wilke, Smithsonian Magazine, 13 Sep. 2023
Every so often, their legs curl and their spinnerets twitch — and the retinas of their eyes, visible through their translucent exoskeletons, shift back and forth.
—Carolyn Wilke, Popular Science, 6 Sep. 2023
Documentary filmmaker Bob Poole and his sister, Joyce, needed to build a steel exoskeleton for a Land Rover Defender 110—for protection against elephants while filming War Elephants in Mozambique.
—Bob Poole, Car and Driver, 8 June 2023
That related phylum within the animal kingdom includes lobsters, crabs, spiders and many insects with exoskeletons.
—Kate Golembiewski, Discover Magazine, 8 June 2023
These robotic exoskeletons have the possibility of aiding a wide range of users, from those who do physical labor to those who need help with mobility to the elderly.
—IEEE Spectrum, 21 Apr. 2023
Their equivalent of blood simply sloshes through organs inside their exoskeleton, but their equivalent of a brain is sheathed in protective glial cells.
—Yasemin Saplakoglu, Quanta Magazine, 20 June 2023
See More
Jen Yamato, Los Angeles Times, 27 Oct. 2023
University of Maryland researchers are changing the way people look at those thin exoskeletons — investigating the feasibility of putting them to work in an innovative battery.
—Abigail Gruskin, Baltimore Sun, 21 June 2023
Every so often, their legs curl and their spinnerets twitch—and the retinas of their eyes, visible through their translucent exoskeletons, shift back and forth.
—Carolyn Wilke, Smithsonian Magazine, 13 Sep. 2023
Every so often, their legs curl and their spinnerets twitch — and the retinas of their eyes, visible through their translucent exoskeletons, shift back and forth.
—Carolyn Wilke, Popular Science, 6 Sep. 2023
Documentary filmmaker Bob Poole and his sister, Joyce, needed to build a steel exoskeleton for a Land Rover Defender 110—for protection against elephants while filming War Elephants in Mozambique.
—Bob Poole, Car and Driver, 8 June 2023
That related phylum within the animal kingdom includes lobsters, crabs, spiders and many insects with exoskeletons.
—Kate Golembiewski, Discover Magazine, 8 June 2023
These robotic exoskeletons have the possibility of aiding a wide range of users, from those who do physical labor to those who need help with mobility to the elderly.
—IEEE Spectrum, 21 Apr. 2023
Their equivalent of blood simply sloshes through organs inside their exoskeleton, but their equivalent of a brain is sheathed in protective glial cells.
—Yasemin Saplakoglu, Quanta Magazine, 20 June 2023
See More
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'exoskeleton.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Word History
First Known Use
1847, in the meaning defined at sense 1
Dictionary Entries Near exoskeleton
Cite this Entry
“Exoskeleton.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/exoskeleton. Accessed 29 Nov. 2023.
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Kids Definition
exoskeleton
noun
exo·skel·e·ton
ˌek-sō-ˈskel-ət-ᵊn
: a hard supporting or protective structure (as of an insect, spider, or crustacean) on the outside of the body
Medical Definition
exoskeleton
noun
exo·skel·e·ton
ˌek-sō-ˈskel-ət-ᵊn
1
: an external supportive covering of an animal (as the system of sclerites covering the body of an insect) compare endoskeleton
2
: bony or horny parts (as nails, hooves, or scales) of a vertebrate produced from epidermal tissues
More from Merriam-Webster on exoskeleton
Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for exoskeleton
Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about exoskeleton
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