scute Meaning, Definition & Usage

  1. noun large bony or horny plate as on an armadillo or turtle or the underside of a snake

WordNet

Scute noun
Etymology
L. scutum a shield, a buckler. See Scudo.
Definitions
  1. A small shield. Obs. Skelton.
  2. An old French gold coin of the value of 3s. 4d. sterling, or about 80 cents.
  3. (Zoöl.) A bony scale of a reptile or fish; a large horny scale on the leg of a bird, or on the belly of a snake.

Webster 1913