Insect Morphology Vocabulary

noun the layer of dead skin at the base of a fingernail or toenail

• The cuticle is the outer layer of skin that protects the nail bed.
• I need to moisturize my cuticles to prevent them from drying out.
• I accidentally cut my cuticle while trimming my nails.
• She had a thick emotional cuticle that prevented her from getting too close to anyone.

adjective curved like a sickle or crescent

• The leaves of the plant are falcate in shape, with a curved edge.
• The bird has falcate wings that help it soar gracefully through the sky.
• Check out the falcate tail on that car, it looks so cool!
• Her smile was falcate, like a crescent moon in the night sky.