- a covering; integument
- Bot. the inner coat of a seed
- a beetle elytron
- a hardened forewing in some insects
Origin of tegmenClassical Latin ; from tegere, to cover: see thatch
A covering or integument, especially:
a. The thin plate of bone that covers the middle ear.
b. The tough leathery forewing of certain insects.
c. The inner layer of a seed coat.
Origin of tegmenLatin tegimen, tegmen, covering, from tegere, to cover; see (s)teg- in Indo-European roots.