scute

plural scutes

1. biologyA horny, chitinous, or bony external plate or scale, as on the shell of a turtle, the skin of crocodiles, or the feet and legs of birds.

   Then one afternoon, as he's stripping the scutes and hide from a shortnose sturgeon, an idea hits him.

   1982, TC Boyle, Water Music, Penguin, published 2006, page 71

2. biologyA proneural gene, often associated with achaete, that is required for the formation of many larval and adult sense organs
3. obsoleteA small shield.

   But yet they ouer shote vs Wyth crownes and wyth scutus; With scutis and crownes of gold I drede we are bought and solde; […]

   a. 1530 (date written), John Skelton, “Here after Foloweth a Lytell Boke, whiche hath to Name Why Come Ye Nat to Courte? […]”, in Alexander Dyce, editor, The Poetical Works of John Skelton: […], volume II, London: Thomas Rodd, […], published 1843, →OCLC, page 32

4. historicalAn old French gold coin.