Containing, composed of, or resembling chitin; characteristic of insects and crustaceans with hard exoskeletons.
From chitin plus -ous (meaning 'full of' or 'characterized by'). Chitin derives from French chitin, which came from Greek chitōn 'tunic' or 'garment.'
Calling an insect's skeleton 'chitinous' is literally saying it's like wearing a tunic—because Greek 'chitōn' meant garment, and that's exactly what exoskeletons are: detachable clothes that insects outgrow and molt!
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