scu·tel·lum (sky -t l  m)n. pl. scu·tel·la (-t l) 1. Zoology A shieldlike bony plate or scale, as on the thorax of some insects. 2. Botany Any of several shield-shaped structures, such as the cotyledon of a grass. [New Latin sc  tellum, from Latin, diminutive of sctum, shield; see scutum.]scu·tel lar (-tlr) adj. |
scutellum [skjuːˈtɛləm]
n pl -la [-lə] Biology
1. (Life Sciences & Allied Applications / Zoology) the last of three plates into which the notum of an insect's thorax is divided
2. (Life Sciences & Allied Applications / Zoology) one of the scales on the tarsus of a bird's leg
3. (Life Sciences & Allied Applications / Botany) an outgrowth from a germinating grass seed that probably represents the cotyledon
4. (Life Sciences & Allied Applications / Biology) any other small shield-shaped part or structure
[from New Latin: a little shield, from Latin scūtum a shield]
scutellar adj
scutellate [ˈskjuːtɪˌleɪt -lɪt] adj
| scutellum (sky-tlm) Plural scutella 1. A shieldlike bony plate or scale, as on the thorax of some insects. 2. The large, shield-shaped cotyledon of the embryo of a grass plant, specialized for the absorption of food from the endosperm. |
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