cuticle

noun

the outer layer of the skin; epidermis
hardened skin, such as accumulates at the base and sides of a fingernail
Bot. a delicate, waxy layer over the outer surface of the epidermis of plants: it contains cutin and protects against water loss and parasitic infections
Zool. the nonliving, thick or thin, tough outer structure secreted by the epidermis in many invertebrate organisms, as insects, crustaceans, earthworms, etc.

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