/mhw> n.; pl. Elytra [ NL., fr. Gr. 'e`lytron, fr. 'ely`ein to roll round. ] (Zoöl.) (a) One of the anterior pair of wings in the Coleoptera and some other insects, when they are thick and serve only as a protection for the posterior pair. See Coleoptera. (b) One of the shieldlike dorsal scales of certain annelids. See Chætopoda. [ 1913 Webster ]