cuticle

Noun

WordNet 3.0

the dead skin at the base of a fingernail or toenail
the outer layer of the skin covering the exterior body surface of vertebratesSynonyms: epidermis
hard outer covering or case of certain organisms such as arthropods and turtlesSynonyms: carapace shell shield

Cuticle \Cu"ti*cle\ (k[=u]"t[i^]*k'l), n. [L. cuticula, dim. of cutis skin; akin to E. hide skin of an animal.]

1.(Anat.) The scarfskin or epidermis. See Skin. [1913 Webster]

2.(Bot.) The outermost skin or pellicle of a plant, found especially in leaves and young stems. [1913 Webster]

3.A thin skin formed on the surface of a liquid. [1913 Webster]