— chitinous , adj. chitinoid , adj.
/kuy"tin/ , n. Biochem.
a nitrogen-containing polysaccharide, related chemically to cellulose, that forms a semitransparent horny substance and is a principal constituent of the exoskeleton, or outer covering, of insects, crustaceans, and arachnids.
[ 1830-40; chitine chit ( ón ) tunic, CHITON + F -ine -IN 2 ]