表皮|ひょうひhyouhi[1]atamadaka (head-high)

1. noun, anatomy, zoologyepidermis; cuticle
2. noun, botanybark; epidermis
3. noun, architecturefacade

• Synonym皮かわNeutralThe everyday word for skin — hides, fruit peel, bark; the most common choice in speech. 「表皮」 is the biological/medical term.
• Related外皮がいひWrittenWritten/formal term for an outer covering or shell, incl. fruit peel and husks; broader than 「表皮」, which is the outermost tissue of a living body or a facade.
• Related角皮かくひWrittenTechnical term for the cuticle at the base of a nail; far narrower than 「表皮」, which broadly covers the body surface.
• Antonym真皮しんぴWrittenWritten term for the inner layer of the skin, opposite the outermost 「表皮」; common in skincare explanations.
• Antonym内層ないそうWrittenWritten term for an inner layer in a multilayered structure; applies to any object, as opposed to the outer 「表皮」.

Use 「皮」 in everyday speech. 「表皮」 is the biology/medicine term for the outermost tissue, or a facade; 「真皮」 is the layer beneath and the two are not interchangeable. For general outer coverings like fruit peel or husks, use 「外皮」; 「角皮」 is a nail's cuticle.

Usage comparisons are AI-assisted and cross-checked by multiple models; for study reference only

1. 動植物どうしょくぶつの体からだの表面ひょうめんを覆おおう皮かわ。