lorica
/ləˈraɪkə/
noun
- A cuirass or breastplate made of metal or leather, worn by ancient Roman soldiers as body armor.
- The Roman legionary's lorica was made of overlapping iron strips.
- Museum visitors admired the reconstructed lorica from the first century.
- He studied how the lorica segmentata provided flexibility in battle.
- A hard protective shell or case covering the body of certain animals, such as some protozoans or rotifers.
- Under the microscope, the lorica of the rotifer looked like a tiny glass vase.
- Scientists examined the lorica structure to understand how the creature survives.
- The lorica protects the soft body of the microorganism from predators.