The hard, protective shell covering the back of turtles, crustaceans, and some other animals.
From Spanish carapacho, derived from Portuguese carapuça (a type of hood or cap), possibly from Arabic origin, metaphorically applied to the turtle's protective shell.
The word carapace originally meant 'hood' or 'cap'—naming a turtle's shell like a piece of clothing shows how humans understand protection through everyday objects!
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