Relating to or shaped like a shield, especially in reference to anatomical structures that are round and flattened like a warrior's shield.
From Latin clypeus (shield) + -olar (relating to). The Latin clypeus itself may derive from Greek klypeos. The -olar suffix became common in scientific terminology to denote 'pertaining to' or 'resembling.'
Scientists borrowed this word from ancient Roman military terminology—when they needed to describe certain round, shield-like body parts in insects and other creatures, they reached back to the Latin word for the shields that protected Roman soldiers.
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