Dictionary.com

plica

[ plahy-kuh ]
/ ˈplaɪ kə /
Save This Word!

noun, plural pli·cae [plahy-see, -kee]. /ˈplaɪ si, -ki/.
Zoology, Anatomy. a fold or folding.
Also called pli·ca po·lon·i·ca [puh-lon-i-kuh]. /pəˈlɒn ɪ kə/. Pathology. a matted, filthy condition of the hair, caused by disease, vermin, etc.
(in medieval music) a vertical mark attached to a neume, standing for an interpolated melodic ornament.
QUIZ
THINGAMABOB OR THINGUMMY: CAN YOU DISTINGUISH BETWEEN THE US AND UK TERMS IN THIS QUIZ?
Do you know the difference between everyday US and UK terminology? Test yourself with this quiz on words that differ across the Atlantic.
Question 1 of 7
In the UK, COTTON CANDY is more commonly known as…

Origin of plica

1675–85; <Medieval Latin: a fold, back formation from Latin plicāre to fold, ply2

OTHER WORDS FROM plica

plical, adjective

Words nearby plica

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use plica in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for plica

plica
/ (ˈplaɪkə) /

noun plural plicae (ˈplaɪsiː)
Also called: fold anatomy a folding over of parts, such as a fold of skin, muscle, peritoneum, etc
pathol a condition of the hair characterized by matting, filth, and the presence of parasites

Derived forms of plica

plical, adjective

Word Origin for plica

C17: from Medieval Latin: a fold, from Latin plicāre to fold; see ply ²
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
FEEDBACK