n.
(Automative) type of of vehicle construction in which the body is united with the frame and machinery; type of construction in which the outer layer absorbs all or most of the stress
Monocoque is a structural approach whereby loads are supported through an object's external skin, similar to an egg shell. The technique may also be called structural skin. The word monocoque is a French term for "single shell" or (of boats) "single hull".
