noun · 3 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot
Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.
Sound
Pronunciation
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CMU ARPABET:EH2 K S OW0 S K EH1 L AH0 T AH0 N
Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.
1
noun
Meaning 1
A hard outer structure that provides both structure and protection to creatures such as insects and Crustacea.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Topics: anatomy, medicine, sciences
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
2
noun
Meaning 2
A wearable robotic machine used for aided or augmented mobility.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
3
noun
Meaning 3
the exterior protective or supporting structure or shell of many animals (especially invertebrates) including bony or horny parts such as nails or scales or hoofs
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
Broader terms: body covering, skeletal system, skeleton, frame, systema skeletale
Narrower terms: plastron
History
Etymology
Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *h1éǵh Proto-Indo-European *-s Proto-Indo-European *h1eǵhs Proto-Hellenic *eks Ancient Greek ἐκ (ek) Ancient Greek ἔξω (éxō)der. English exo- English skeleton English exoskeleton From exo- + skeleton.
Across languages
Translations
43 source translations are retained for this English entry.
Afrikaans:
huidskelet
— hard outer structure
Arabic:
هَيْكَل خَارِجِيّ
(haykal ḵārijiyy)
— hard outer structure
Asturian:
exocadarma
— hard outer structure
Asturian:
exoesqueletu
— hard outer structure
Breton:
ezrelegenn
— hard outer structure
Catalan:
exosquelet
— hard outer structure
Chinese Mandarin:
外骨骼
(wàigǔgé)
— hard outer structure
Czech:
exoskelet
— hard outer structure
Esperanto:
eksoskeleto
— hard outer structure
Estonian:
välisskelett
— hard outer structure
Estonian:
eksoskelett
— hard outer structure
Finnish:
ulkoinen tukiranka
— hard outer structure
French:
exosquelette
— hard outer structure
German:
Exoskelett
— hard outer structure
Greek:
εξωσκελετός
(exoskeletós)
— hard outer structure
Hungarian:
(külső/viselhető/hordható) robotváz
— hard outer structure
Hungarian:
exoszkeleton
— hard outer structure
Ido:
exoskeleto
— hard outer structure
Indonesian:
rangka luar
— hard outer structure
Indonesian:
eksoskeleton
— hard outer structure
Italian:
esoscheletro
— hard outer structure
Japanese:
外骨格
(gaikokkaku)
— hard outer structure
Korean:
외골격
(oegolgyeok)
— hard outer structure
Latin:
exosceletus
— hard outer structure
Lithuanian:
egzoskeletas
— hard outer structure
Māori:
angawaho
— hard outer structure
Polish:
szkielet zewnętrzny
— hard outer structure
Polish:
egzoszkielet
— hard outer structure
Portuguese:
exosqueleto
— hard outer structure
Portuguese:
exoesqueleto
— hard outer structure
Romanian:
exoschelet
— hard outer structure
Russian:
экзоскеле́т
(ekzoskelét)
— hard outer structure