wing case
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wing case
n.
See elytron.
American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright © 2016 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
el•y•tron
(ˈɛl ɪˌtrɒn)n., pl. -tra (-trə).
one of the pair of hardened forewings of certain insects, as beetles, forming a protective covering for the rear wings.
[1745–55; < New Latin < Greek élytron literally, cover, case, akin to eilýein to enfold, wrap]
el′y•trous (-trəs) adj.
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Noun | 1. | wing case - either of the horny front wings in beetles and some other insects which cover and protect the functional hind wings wing - a movable organ for flying (one of a pair) |
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