Definition of "squamous" [squamous]

• Covered with or formed of scales; scaly. (adjective)
• Resembling a scale or scales; thin and flat like a scale: the squamous cells of the cervix. (adjective)
• Of or relating to the thin, platelike part of the temporal bone. (adjective)

American Heritage(R) Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright (c) 2011 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

• "It was the right leg, the right shin, which was revealed to be what she called a squamous cell carcinoma."
• "When the basal cells reach the spinous layer, they are referred to as squamous cells."
• "Blocking UVB helps reduce sunburn and protect against the more common (but far less deadly) forms of skin cancer called squamous and basal-cell carcinoma."