Scutel

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. A small shield or a shield-shaped structure, especially a plate-like anatomical feature found in insects or reptiles
2. A diminutive shield or a scale-like protective plate that resembles a shield in form, particularly in biological organisms
3. A tiny shield or a flattened shield-shaped organ or part, notably in arthropods and other animals

Etymology: Scutel is a shortened form of "scutellum," the small shield-shaped plate on the back of an insect's thorax, just behind the pronotum. The Latin "scutum" meant a large oblong shield, and its diminutive "scutella" meant a small dish or platter. The entomological sense, with its image of a tiny shield, comes from the same root. The plate is a useful feature for telling insect groups apart. In beetles and true bugs it can be large and conspicuous, while in many other insects it is hard to see. Entomologists adopted the Latin-derived term in the 18th and 19th centuries as they classified insects more systematically, so the usage is modern even though the Latin roots are ancient. The shorter form "scutel" appears in some technical texts as a variant, but "scutellum" is the standard term in most dictionaries and scientific writing.