Cu"ti*cle (kū"t&ibreve;*k'l), n. [L. cuticula, dim. of cutis skin; akin to E. hide skin of an animal.] 1. (Anat.) The scarfskin or epidermis. See Skin.

2. (Bot.) The outermost skin or pellicle of a plant, found especially in leaves and young stems.

3. A thin skin formed on the surface of a liquid.

• The outermost layer of the skin of vertebrates; the epidermis.
  
• The strip of hardened skin at the base and sides of a fingernail or toenail.
  
• Dead or cornified epidermis.
  
• (zoology) (botany) The outer protective covering of invertebrates and plants.