epidermis

UK: /ˌɛpɪˈdɜː^rmɪs/ US: /ˌɛpəˈdɝmɪs/ ,(ep′i dûr′mis)

WordReference Random House Learner's Dictionary of American English © 2025

ep•i•der•mis /ˌɛpəˈdɜrmɪs/   n. [uncountable]

1. Anatomy the outermost layer of the skin.

ep•i•der•mal, ep•i•der•mic, adj. 

WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2025

ep•i•der•mis  (ep′i dûr′mis), n. 

1. Anatomy the outer, nonvascular, nonsensitive layer of the skin, covering the true skin or corium.
2. Zoology the outermost living layer of an animal, usually composed of one or more layers of cells.
3. Botany a thin layer of cells forming the outer integument of seed plants and ferns.

• Greek epidermís upper skin. See epi-, derma
• Late Latin: surface skin
• 1620–30

ep′i•der′mal, ep′i•der′mic, adj. 
ep′i•der′mi•cal•ly, adv. 

Collins Concise English Dictionary © HarperCollins Publishers::

epidermis / ˌɛpɪˈdɜːmɪs/ noun

1. Also called: cuticle the thin protective outer layer of the skin, composed of stratified epithelial tissue
2. the outer layer of cells of an invertebrate
3. the outer protective layer of cells of a plant, which may be thickened by a cuticle

Etymology: 17th Century: via Late Latin from Greek, from epi- + derma skin

ˌepiˈdermal, ˌepiˈdermic, ˌepiˈdermoid adjective