-dermcomb. form

Etymology: < French -derme, forming nouns denoting animals (in e.g. malacoderme malacoderm n., pachyderme pachyderm n.) and layers of tissue (in e.g. periderme peridermis n.) < post-classical Latin and scientific Latin -derma , forming nouns denoting animals (in e.g. echinoderma echinoderm n.) and layers of tissue (see -derma comb. form) < ancient Greek -δερμος , combining form of δερματ- , δέρμα skin (see derma n.). Compare German -derm , forming nouns denoting animals (in e.g. Placoderm placoderm n.).In sense 1 found from at least the first half of the 19th cent., earliest in borrowings from French (e.g. echinoderm n., megaderm n., pachyderm n.). Independent English formations are found from the mid 19th cent., but are apparently rare and usually modelled on an existing noun in -derma ( < scientific Latin: see note at -derma comb. form); e.g. mycoderm n. Formations in sense 2 are found from the first half of the 19th cent. (e.g. endoderm n., apparently first attested at the same time as the borrowing epiderm n.). Compare derm n. Compare also -derma comb. form 1.