ETYM French battant. Related to Batter.
1. Stick used to fix something in place, to hold it firm.
2. Slender stick inserted in the pocket of a sail to keep the sail flat against the wind.

ETYM Latin, from Greek; epi over + dermos skin. Related to Tear.
The outer layer of the skin covering the exterior body surface of vertebrates; SYN. cuticle.
Outermost layer of skin; Botany, plant's derma.
Outermost layer of cells on an organism's body. In plants and many invertebrates such as insects, it consists of a single layer of cells. In vertebrates, it consists of several layers of cells.
The epidermis of plants and invertebrates often has an outer noncellular cuticle that protects the organism from desiccation.
In vertebrates, such as reptiles, birds, and mammals, the outermost layer of cells is dead, forming a tough, waterproof layer, which is sloughed off continuously or shed periodically. + prikaži više

ETYM Cf. German pelz a pelt, fur, from Old Fren. pelice, French pelisse (see Pelisse); or perh. shortened from peltry.
1. The skin of an animal with the fur still on it; a raw or undressed hide.
2. The human skin.

A natural protective covering of the body; site of the sense of touch; SYN. tegument, cutis.
The covering of the body of a vertebrate. In mammals, the outer layer (epidermis) is dead and its cells are constantly being rubbed away and replaced from below; it helps to protect the body from infection and to prevent dehydration. The lower layer (dermis) contains blood vessels, nerves, hair roots, and sweat and sebaceous glands, and is supported by a network of fibrous and elastic cells.
Skin grafting is the repair of injured skin by placing pieces of skin, taken from elsewhere on the body, over the injured area. The medical specialty concerned with skin diseases is called dermatology. + prikaži više