The Collaborative International Dictionary
Elytron \El"y*tron\ (?; 277), Elytrum \El"y*trum\ (-tr?m)n.; pl. Elytra. [NL., fr. Gr. ?, fr. ? to roll round.] (Zo["o]l.)
One of the anterior pair of wings in the Coleoptera and some other insects, when they are thick and serve only as a protection for the posterior pair. See Coleoptera.
One of the shieldlike dorsal scales of certain annelids. See Ch[ae]topoda.
Usage examples of "elytrum".
You see, sir,--and he went on with elytra and antennae and tarsi and metatarsi and tracheae and stomata and wingmuscles and leg-muscles and ganglions,--all plain enough, I do not doubt, to those accustomed to handling dor-bugs and squash-bugs and such undesirable objects of affection to all but naturalists.
The stiff edges, being forced slightly apart by the inclination of the body, come back into contact with a sharp click, similar to that emitted by the elytra of certain beetles.
Weldon, heedless that she gave him little or no attention, “this is the country of the manticoræ, and wonderful coleoptera they are, with their long hairy legs, their sharp elytra and their big mandibles.