ecdysis
noun
Forms ecdyses ecdysises
- noun The stripping off of an outer layer of skin by snakes and certain other animals; typically in accommodation to growth or wear-and-tear.
- noun The shedding of an exoskeleton, as in insects and crustaceans.
Synonyms
Etymology
From Ancient Greek ἔκδυσις (ékdusis, “stripping”), from ἐκδύω (ekdúō, “I take off”), from ἐκ (ek, “out”) + δύω (dúō, “I get in”).
Webster’s 1913
- noun The act of shedding, or casting off, an outer cuticular layer, as in the case of serpents, lobsters, etc.; a coming out; as, the ecdysis of the pupa from its shell; exuviation.
Etymology [NL., fr. Gr. 'e`kdysis a getting out, fr. 'ekdy`ein, to put off; 'ek out + dy`ein to enter.]
Sources: Wiktionary · WordNet 3.0 · Webster’s 1913 — from the Wiktionary entry “ecdysis”, CC BY-SA 4.0. Details