casque

Meanings

1. 1
   noun

   a hard helmet-like structure on the head or bill of certain birds and reptiles

   The hornbill's casque rises above its long curved bill.

2. 2
   noun

   historical or literary: a helmet, especially one worn with armor

   The ceremonial casque was displayed beside the knight's breastplate.

3. 3
   noun

   botany and anatomy: a hood-shaped or helmet-shaped part, also called a galea

   The flower's upper petals form a protective casque over its reproductive parts.

Borrowed from French casque ("helmet"), from Spanish casco, which could mean a helmet, skull, shell, or hard outer covering. Naturalists extended the helmet image to prominent hard structures on birds and reptiles.

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