elytron

E1L1Y4T1R1O1N1
/ˈɛlɪtɹɒn/

noun

A sheath or outer covering, especially around the spinal cord or over the hindwings of certain insects.

Similar
wingcasewing case
OriginAncient Greek ἔλυτρον (élutron) →
Scrabble 10
Ask AI about this wordChatGPTClaudePerplexityGoogle AIGrok

Meanings

nounelytron (plural elytra)

plural elytra

  1. A sheath or outer covering, especially around the spinal cord or over the hindwings of certain insects.

    […] the elytra covering the hind wings of the firefly lift like a light leather, suppler than any other beetle’s.

    2020, Aimee Nezhukumatathil, World of Wonders: In Praise of Fireflies, Whale Sharks, and Other Astonishments, Minneapolis: Milkweed Editions, →ISBN, page 9
    1 more example

    In a corner, the Darkling Beetle rustles in its Cage, its Elytra the same unforgiving white as the great sand-waste call’d ‘Kalahari’ lying north of here […]

    1997, Thomas Pynchon, chapter 9, in Mason & Dixon, 1st US edition, New York: Henry Holt and Company, →ISBN, part One: Latitudes and Departures, page 88

    Synonyms: wingcase

Synonyms & antonyms

nounA sheath or outer covering, especially around the spinal cord or over the hindwings of certain insects.

Similar
wingcase

More synonyms by meaning

nouneither of the horny front wings in beetles and some other insects which cover and protect the functional hind wings

Similar
wing case
Broader
wing

Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.

Origin

  1. Ancient Greekεἰλύω (eilúō)
  2. Ancient Greekἔλυτρον (élutron)
  3. Englishelytron

Learned borrowing from Ancient Greek ἔλυτρον (élutron, “sheath”).

More words from Ancient Greek

Full word history & related roots →

Translations

Catalan èlitre
  • èlitreouter covering of insect
Chinese Mandarin 鞘翅
  • 鞘翅 (qiàochì)outer covering of insect
Czech krovka
  • krovkaouter covering of insect
Finnish peitesiipi
  • peitesiipiouter covering of insect
French élytre
  • élytreouter covering of insect
German Flügeldecke, Elytron
  • Flügeldeckeouter covering of insect
  • Elytronouter covering of insect
Greek έλυτρο
  • έλυτρο (élytro)outer covering of insect
Hungarian szárnyfedő
  • szárnyfedőouter covering of insect
Italian elitra
  • elitraouter covering of insect
Japanese 翅鞘
  • 翅鞘 (shishō)outer covering of insect
Latin elytrum
  • elytrumouter covering of insect
Polish pokrywy, okrywy
  • pokrywyouter covering of insect
  • okrywyouter covering of insect
  • elytryouter covering of insect
Romanian elitră
  • elitrăouter covering of insect
Russian надкры́лье, надкры́лья
  • надкры́лье (nadkrýlʹje)outer covering of insect
  • надкры́лья (nadkrýlʹja)outer covering of insect
Spanish élitro
  • élitroouter covering of insect
Ukrainian надкрило́, надкри́лля
  • надкрило́ (nadkryló)outer covering of insect
  • надкри́лля (nadkrýllja)outer covering of insect
  • елі́тра (elítra)outer covering of insect
Cite this entry
APA

elytron. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/elytron

MLA

“elytron.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/elytron. Accessed November 3, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “elytron,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/elytron.

Source: elytron on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.