cutis cu·tis (kyōō'tĭs)
n. pl. cu·tis·es or cu·tes (-tēz)
Dermis.
the thicker, deeper layer of the skin underlying the epidermis and made up of connective tissue. It is present in varying degrees of development among various vertebrate groups, being relatively thin and simple in aquatic animals and progressively thicker and more complex in terrestrial species