n. 1. A natural outer covering or coat, such as the skin of an animal or the membrane enclosing an organ. 2. Botany The outermost layer or layers of an ovule. [Latin integumentum, from integere, to cover : in-, on; see IN-2 + tegere, to cover; see (s)teg- in the Appendix of Indo-European roots.] in·teg′u·menta·ry (-mĕntə-rē, -mĕntrē) adj. |
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition copyright ©2022 by HarperCollins Publishers. All rights reserved.