ecdysis
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English
[edit]Etymology
[edit]From Ancient Greek ἔκδυσις (ékdusis, “stripping”), from ἐκδύω (ekdúō, “I take off”), from ἐκ (ek, “out”) + δύω (dúō, “I get in”).
Noun
[edit]ecdysis (countable and uncountable, plural ecdyses or ecdysises)
- The stripping off of an outer layer of skin by snakes and certain other animals; typically in accommodation to growth or wear-and-tear; as distinct from the term "moulting", not in reference to the shedding of hair or feathers.
- The shedding of an exoskeleton, as in insects and crustaceans.