squameux

Squameux is an adjective of French origin meaning “scaly” or “covered with scales.” In French scientific and descriptive writing, it is used to characterize skin, surfaces, or structures that display scale-like plates or vestures. The word derives from the Latin squama, meaning a scale, and shares a common root with English terms such as squamous and squamate.

Usage and scope: In zoology and paleontology, squameux is typically applied to animals with a scaly integument, notably fishes and reptiles. In botany and lichenology, more specialized terms such as squamulose (composed of small scale-like units) are ordinarily preferred, though squameux may appear in older or more general texts. The term is relatively uncommon in contemporary English-language science and is most often found in French-language sources or in translations that retain the original adjective.

Relation to other terms: The cognate English forms include squamous (scaly, relating to epithelium) and squamate (an animal bearing scales, particularly lizards and snakes). For texture descriptions in English, “scaly” or “scale-covered” is more widely used. See also: squamulose, squamate, squamous, scaly.