[a. mod.F. carapace, ad. Sp. carapacho upper shell of a tortoise: of doubtful origin; taken by Barcia as a by-form of *carapazon, by metathesis for caparazon caparison, body-armor of a horse, augmentative of capara, -o, in med.L. a hood, a covering of the head and shoulders, f. L. capa, CAPE.]

1

  The upper body-shell of tortoises, and of crustaceans. Extended to the hard case investing the body in some other animals, as certain Infusoria.

2

1836.  Todd, Cycl. Anat., I. 202/1. If the carapace is raised in a crab.

3

1854.  H. Miller, Sch. & Schm., x. (1857), 201. The carapace of some tall tortoise.

4

1878.  Bell, Gegenbaur’s Comp. Anat., 38. A continuous covering for the body, like the carapace of the Arthropoda.

5

  fig.  1860.  O. W. Holmes, Prof. Breakf.-t., ii. 35. Nothing … could have got me to leave the shelter of my carapace.

6

  Hence Carapaced a.

7

1876.  Page, Adv. Text-bk. Geol., xix. 357. Carapaced turtles.

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