Meaning & use
keratinous
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Meaning
adjectivenot comparabletechnical
Made of or containing keratin, the hard protein that forms hair, nails, horns, and feathers.
Grammar: Used before a noun: keratinous tissue. It is not usually used after a verb or with 'very'.
Patterns
- keratinous tissue
- keratinous structure
- keratinous material
The outer layer of the beak is keratinous and very tough.
Under the microscope, the sample showed keratinous fibers.
Horns are keratinous structures that grow throughout the animal's life.
Common combinations
- keratinous layer
- The keratinous layer protects the underlying skin.
- keratinous sheath
- The claw is covered by a keratinous sheath.
- keratinous scale
- Reptiles have keratinous scales that reduce water loss.
- keratinous material
- The nest was lined with keratinous material from the mother's feathers.
Synonyms and how they differ
- horny
- In biology, 'horny' can mean made of keratin, but it is old-fashioned and often confusing because it has a common sexual meaning.
- cornified
- This means converted into horn or keratin, often used for skin cells, but it focuses on the process rather than the material.
Word family
- keratin noun
- The protein itself, found in hair, nails, and horns.
- keratinize verb
- To become hard or horny by gaining keratin.
- keratinization noun
- The process by which cells produce keratin and harden.
Commonly confused: keratinous or keratogenous?
keratinous vs keratogenous
This means 'producing keratin', while 'keratinous' means 'made of or containing keratin'.
Practice
Which sentence uses 'keratinous' correctly?
Choose one answer.
The adjective 'keratinous' describes something made of keratin, so it fits before a noun like 'tissue'. Option A uses it as if it describes a bird, which is wrong; option C uses it as a verb, which is incorrect; option D uses it as a noun, but it is an adjective.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “keratinous”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.