scutellum
noun
scutellum is spelled S-C-U-T-E-L-L-U-M: 9 letters. It appears about once in every 23 million words in written English, the 146,811th most frequent word form (wordfreq, 2021 data). As a noun, scutellum means “A rounded apothecium having an elevated rim formed of the proper thallus, the fructification of certain lichens” (English Wiktionary, September 2026). The plural of scutellum is scutella.
How many letters and syllables are in scutellum?
| Letters | 9: S-C-U-T-E-L-L-U-M |
|---|---|
| In writing | about once in every 23 million words; the 146,811th most frequent word form |
| Wrong spellings searched | none measured in search |
Sources: letters and syllables from the English Wiktionary's hyphenation or pronunciation; written frequency: wordfreq 3.1 (a 2021 snapshot of Wikipedia, subtitles, news, books, web text and social media).
How common is scutellum?
Scutellum appears about once in every 23 million words in written English, the 146,811th most frequent word form in the list.
Source: written frequency: wordfreq 3.1 (a 2021 snapshot of Wikipedia, subtitles, news, books, web text and social media).
Forms of scutellum
- scutella plural
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
What does scutellum mean?
The meanings the English Wiktionary records, quoted as written there (source below).
noun
- 1
A rounded apothecium having an elevated rim formed of the proper thallus, the fructification of certain lichens.
- 2
The third of the four pieces forming the upper part of a thoracic segment of an insect. It follows the scutum, and is followed by the small postscutellum.
- 3
One of the transverse scales on the tarsi and toes of birds.
- 4
A grass seed cotyledon that is highly modified for absorption.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
Scutellum in Spanish, French, German and Portuguese
In the sense shield-shaped structure:
| Language | Words |
|---|---|
| French | scutellum |
| German | Scutellum, Schildchen |
| Portuguese | escutelo |
| Spanish | escutelo |
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract). Translations are Wiktionary's, by sense; a linked word has its own PlainSpell page.
Where does scutellum come from?
Borrowed from New Latin scūtellum, diminutive of Latin scūtum (“shield”).
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).