# ecdysis

> English word · Noun

## Definitions
1. The stripping off of an outer layer of skin by snakes and certain other animals; typically in accommodation to growth or wear-and-tear.
2. The shedding of an exoskeleton, as in insects and crustaceans.

## Etymology
From Ancient Greek ἔκδυσις (ékdusis, “stripping”), from ἐκδύω (ekdúō, “I take off”), from ἐκ (ek, “out”) + δύω (dúō, “I get in”).

## Source
Compiled from Wiktionary via kaikki.org (CC BY-SA). Data vintage: 2026-05-06.
Canonical page: https://plainspell.com/en/word/ecdysis