Spanish word

caparazón

Pronunciation

IPA/kapaɾaˈθon/

Meaning

  • masculine nounshell

Example

El caparazón de la tortuga es muy duro.

The turtle's shell is very hard.

Illustration for caparazón (shell)

More examples

Tras la crítica, ella se puso un caparazón y evitó hablar de sus sentimientos.

After the criticism, she retreated into her shell and avoided talking about her feelings.

Core concept

Turtle's hard dorsal shell.

Common phrases

  • ponerse un caparazón

    retreat into one's shell

  • caparazón protector

    protective shell

Similar words

concha: Hard external shell of mollusks or seashells, often found on beaches.
cáscara: Thin outer skin or shell of fruits, nuts, or eggs that is peeled or cracked away.

Definition in Spanish

Cobertura dura que protege el cuerpo de ciertos animales; suele referirse a la concha dorsal de tortugas y a la parte rígida de algunos crustáceos.

Word origin

Caparazón is derived from Old French and Italian carapace and ultimately from Greek karapax 'hard shell', with the Spanish augmentative suffix -ón.

Usage tips

  • Caparazón refers to an animal's back shell (turtles and some crustaceans), while concha more often names seashells or a mollusk's shell.

Other meanings

  • carapacenoun

Opposites

Word lists with this word