integumentary

[ in-teg-yuh-men-tuh-ree ]
/ ɪnˌtɛg yəˈmɛn tə ri /

adjective

of, relating to, or like an integument.

Origin of integumentary

First recorded in 1835–45; integument + -ary

OTHER WORDS FROM integumentary

sub·in·teg·u·men·ta·ry, adjective

VOCAB BUILDER

What does integumentary mean?

Integumentary is an adjective used to refer to a covering or coating, especially natural coatings like skin, shells, and rinds.

An integument is any coating or covering, but the term is primarily used for the outer layer of natural things like animals and plants. Integumentary is especially used in the term integumentary system to refer to the system of the human body that includes the skin and related things like hair and nails.

Example: The integumentary layers of animals and plants are very different, but they often serve similar purposes.

Where does integumentary come from?

The first records of integumentary come from around the mid-1800s. Integumentary uses the suffix -ary, meaning “related to” (seen in terms for other bodily systems like pulmonary), to create the adjective form of the noun integument. Integument is older—first recorded in the 1600s—and comes from the Latin word integumentum, meaning “a covering.”

Integumentary is commonly used in biology and related fields when discussing the skin of humans and animals. In humans, the integumentary system includes the skin, hair, and nails, as well as skin glands. The skin is the body’s largest organ, and the integumentary system plays an important role in functions like protecting the body and regulating heat. In animals, integumentary structures include things like feathers and hooves. The integumentary system of plants includes several components that have the same names as parts of the human body, including epidermis, cuticles, and glands.

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How is integumentary used in real life?

Integumentary is primarily used in the context of biology when discussing the outer layers of living things, including the skin of humans and animals and the covering of plants.

 

 

Try using integumentary!

Is integumentary used correctly in the following sentence?

The integumentary layer is on the inside and is covered by several other layers.

Example sentences from the Web for integumentary

  • In this way contraction of the body, aided by the integumentary denticles, will secure their entrance into the nasal cavities.

    Parasites |T. Spencer Cobbold
  • In my original specimens the integumentary spines had fallen, probably as a result of post-mortem decomposition.

    Parasites |T. Spencer Cobbold
  • The integumentary folds over the nasal bones of the chick appear on or about the tenth day.