keratinous
1
7.5
- adjective
- /ˌkɛrəˈtɪnəs/
- Specialized
- His nails had a hard, keratinous texture that made them resistant to breaking.
Examples
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The bird's feathers are made of a keratinous material that helps keep them dry.
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Permanent sections were reported as "acellular keratinous debris" (figure 2, B).
Academic text (2006) -
This same stimulation caused the synthetic skin over his eyes and on his head and face to sprout keratinous strands that were a perfect visual match for hair.
Fiction book (2002) -
B: On H&E staining, the temporal bone biopsy specimen exhibits acellular keratinous debris.
Academic text (2006) -
Horns differ from antlers in several respects: they are formed by a bony core, around which a sheath of horny keratinous material forms, and are never shed.
Blog text (28) -
The patient had a long-term history of diabetes mellitus and has had multiple debridements in the past, but a cancer diagnosis was not established because of the superficial nature of the debrided tissue, which showed only keratinous material.
Academic text (2007) -
Many animals have keratinous scales that protect their skin from environmental damage.
Synonyms
1
9.5
Having skin that is thick, hard, and rough like a callus
How Keratinous
- Specialized
1
9.5
- Specialized
1
7.5
Surface Forms
Morphology
Etymology
The word keratinous comes from keratin, which comes from the Greek word keras meaning 'horn'. Keratin is the tough protein that makes hard parts like hair, nails, beaks and horns, so keratinous means made of or covered with that hard, protective material.