exoskeleton

noun

exo·skel·e·ton | \ˌek-sō-ˈske-lə-tən

Definition of exoskeleton

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

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Examples of exoskeleton in a Sentence

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The exoskeletons of those enduring life-forms will be coated with barriers that prevent toxins from entering their bodies. — Rob Dunn, Discover Magazine, "Our Attempts to Eradicate Insects are Just Making them Resistant to Pesticides," 16 Nov. 2018 Because the exoskeletons were cumbersome and used too much energy, the military lost interest—but the technology survived. — Jo Craven Mcginty, WSJ, "Swing Shift: A Bridge Wobbled and Robotics Benefited," 9 Nov. 2018 When a bed bug passes by, the spores attach to the external layer of fats on the bug’s exoskeleton, which the fungus can then penetrate. — Rob Dunn, Discover Magazine, "Our Attempts to Eradicate Insects are Just Making them Resistant to Pesticides," 16 Nov. 2018 At no point does the crew believe that the shark has some sort of exoskeleton or protection from sheer impact. — Sam Machkovech, Ars Technica, "The Meg film review: We’re going to need a stupider boat," 10 Aug. 2018 But their skin is tough, a rigid exoskeleton that allows them to move around, and oxygen absorption through that would be unlikely. — James Gorman, New York Times, "Breathe Deep: How the Antarctic Sea Spider Gets Oxygen," 28 May 2018 Earlier this week, a team of scientists revealed the first unpowered wearable exoskeleton that decreases the energy required to walk. — William Herkewitz, Popular Mechanics, "We've Been Making Exoskeleton Super-Legs All Wrong," 4 Apr. 2015 This technical advantage will impact a wide array of emerging systems now being built into exoskeletons. — Kris Osborn, Fox News, "Army prototypes new self-powering 'Iron Man' soldier suits," 6 June 2018 After the water receded, the remnant exoskeletons turned into land that is packed with calcium. — Angela Fritz, Washington Post, "The prehistoric shoreline of the Gulf of Mexico is so fertile you can see it from space," 12 July 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'exoskeleton.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.