SCUTUM

Etymology

Noun

scutum (plural scuta)

(historical, Roman antiquity) An oblong shield made of boards or wickerwork covered with leather, with sometimes an iron rim; carried chiefly by the heavy-armed infantry of the Roman army.

(zoology) A scute.

(zoology) A shield-like protection, such as the scutum protecting the back of a hard tick (cf. alloscutum, conscutum)

(zoology) One of the two lower valves of the operculum of a barnacle.

(anatomy) The kneecap.

Etymology

Proper noun

Scutum

(constellation) A small autumn constellation of the northern sky, said to resemble a shield. It lies between the constellations of Aquila, Sagittarius, and the tail of Serpens.

Source: Wiktionary


Scu"tum, n.; pl. Scuta. Etym: [L.]

1. (Rom. Antiq.)

Definition: An oblong shield made of boards or wickerwork covered with leather, with sometimes an iron rim; -- carried chiefly by the heavy- armed infantry.

2. (O. Eng. Law)

Definition: A penthouse or awning. [Obs.] Burrill.

3. (Zoöl.) (a) The second and largest of the four parts forming the upper surface of a thoracic segment of an insect. It is preceded by the prescutum and followed by the scutellum. See the Illust. under Thorax. (b) One of the two lower valves of the operculum of a barnacle.

Source: Webster’s Unabridged Dictionary 1913 Edition



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Word of the Day

2 April 2025

COVERT

(adjective) secret or hidden; not openly practiced or engaged in or shown or avowed; “covert actions by the CIA”; “covert funding for the rebels”


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