pellicle

[ pel-i-kuh l ]
/ ˈpɛl ɪ kəl /
SEE SYNONYMS FOR pellicle ON THESAURUS.COM

noun

a thin skin or membrane; film; scum.
Photography. a thin, partially reflective coating, as on a beam splitter or pellicle mirror.

Origin of pellicle

1535–45; < Latin pellicul(a), equivalent to pelli(s) skin + -cula -cle1

OTHER WORDS FROM pellicle

pel·lic·u·lar [puh-lik-yuh-ler] /pəˈlɪk yə lər/, pel·lic·u·late [puh-lik-yuh-lit, -leyt] /pəˈlɪk yə lɪt, -ˌleɪt/, adjective

Words nearby pellicle

pellekar, pelles, pellet, pelletier, pelletize, pellicle, pellicle mirror, pellitory, pellucid, pellum, pelly

Words related to pellicle

leather, wool, fur, skin, leaf, shell, cover, husk, rind, bark, shuck, epicarp, exocarp, peeling, fleece, hide, pelt, crust, scale, membrane

Example sentences from the Web for pellicle

British Dictionary definitions for pellicle

pellicle
/ (ˈpɛlɪkəl) /

noun

a thin skin or film
the hard protective outer layer of certain protozoans, such as those of the genus Paramecium
botany
  1. the thin outer layer of a mushroom cap
  2. a growth on the surface of a liquid culture
photog the thin layer of emulsion covering a plate, film, or paper

Derived forms of pellicle

pellicular (pɛˈlɪkjʊlə), adjective

Word Origin for pellicle

C16: via French from Latin pellicula, from pellis skin

Medical definitions for pellicle

pellicle
[ pĕl′ĭ-kəl ]

n.

A thin skin or film on the surface of a liquid.

Other words from pellicle

pel•lic′u•lar (pə-lĭk′yə-lər) adj.