Meanings
plural epidermides · plural epidermises
Synonyms & antonyms
nounThe outer, protective layer of the skin of vertebrates.
nounThe similar outer layer of cells in invertebrates and plants.
More synonyms by meaning
nounthe outer layer of the skin covering the exterior body surface of vertebrates
Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.
Origin
- Ancient Greekἐπιδερμίς
- Latinepidermis
- Englishepidermis
Borrowed from Latin epidermis, from Ancient Greek ἐπιδερμίς (epidermís), ἐπί (epí, “on top of”) + δέρμα (dérma, “skin”). Equivalent to epi- + dermis.
More words from Latin, Ancient Greek
Full word history & related roots →Translations
Arabic بشرَة
- بشرَة (bašara)skin's outer layer in animals
Bulgarian епидермис
- епидермис (epidermis)skin's outer layer in animals
Catalan epidermis
- epidermisskin's outer layer in animals
Chinese Mandarin 表皮
- 表皮 (biǎopí)skin's outer layer in animals
Czech pokožka, pokožka
- pokožkaplant's outer layer
- pokožkaskin's outer layer in animals
Dutch opperhuid
- opperhuidskin's outer layer in animals
Esperanto epidermo, epidermo
- epidermoplant's outer layer
- epidermoskin's outer layer in animals
Finnish epidermi, päällysketto
- epidermiplant's outer layer
- päällyskettoplant's outer layer
- orvaskesiskin's outer layer in animals
French épiderme
- épidermeskin's outer layer in animals
German Epidermis, Oberhaut
- Epidermisplant's outer layer
- Oberhautskin's outer layer in animals
- Epidermisskin's outer layer in animals
Greek επιδερμίδα, επιδερμίδα
- επιδερμίδα (epidermída)plant's outer layer
- επιδερμίδα (epidermída)skin's outer layer in animals
Hungarian epidermisz, epidermisz
- epidermiszplant's outer layer
- epidermiszskin's outer layer in animals
- felhámskin's outer layer in animals
Italian epidermide, epidermide
- epidermideplant's outer layer
- epidermideskin's outer layer in animals
Japanese 表皮
- 表皮 (hyōhi)skin's outer layer in animals
Korean 표피
- 표피 (pyopi)skin's outer layer in animals
Latin epidermis
- epidermisskin's outer layer in animals
Lithuanian epidermis
- epidermisskin's outer layer in animals
Māori kiriwaho, kiritai
- kiriwahoplant's outer layer
- kiritaiskin's outer layer in animals
- kiriwahoskin's outer layer in animals
Polish blaszka, naskórek
- blaszkaplant's outer layer
- naskórekskin's outer layer in animals
Portuguese epiderme
- epidermeskin's outer layer in animals
Romanian epidermă, epidermă
- epidermăplant's outer layer
- epidermăskin's outer layer in animals
Russian эпиде́рма, эпиде́рмис
- эпиде́рма (epidérma)skin's outer layer in animals
- эпиде́рмис (epidérmis)skin's outer layer in animals
Scottish Gaelic cneas, cneas
- cneasplant's outer layer
- cneasskin's outer layer in animals
- far-chraiceannskin's outer layer in animals
Spanish epidermis
- epidermisskin's outer layer in animals
Swedish överhud, epidermis
- överhudskin's outer layer in animals
- epidermisskin's outer layer in animals
Tagalog balat-ugat, balatpuno
- balat-ugatplant's outer layer
- balatpunoplant's outer layer
- balatdahonplant's outer layer
Thai หนังกำพร้า
- หนังกำพร้า (nạngkảphr̂ā)skin's outer layer in animals
Turkish epidermis, üst deri
- epidermisplant's outer layer
- üst deriskin's outer layer in animals
- epidermskin's outer layer in animals
Vietnamese ngoại bì
- ngoại bìskin's outer layer in animals
Welsh epidermis, argroen
- epidermisskin's outer layer in animals
- argroenskin's outer layer in animals
- uwchgroenskin's outer layer in animals
Cite this entry
epidermis. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/epidermis
“epidermis.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/epidermis. Accessed November 3, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “epidermis,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/epidermis.
Source: epidermis on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.