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tectonic
[ tek-ton-ik ]
/ tɛkˈtɒn ɪk /
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adjective
of or relating to building or construction; constructive; architectural.
Geology.
- pertaining to the structure of the earth's crust.
- referring to the forces or conditions within the earth that cause movements of the crust.
- designating the results of such movements: tectonic valleys.
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Origin of tectonic
1650–60; <Late Latin tectonicus<Greek tektonikós pertaining to construction, equivalent to tekton- (stem of téktōn) carpenter + -ikos-ic
OTHER WORDS FROM tectonic
tec·ton·i·cal·ly, adverbWords nearby tectonic
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
How to use tectonic in a sentence
British Dictionary definitions for tectonic
tectonic
/ (tɛkˈtɒnɪk) /
adjective
denoting or relating to construction or building
geology
- (of landforms, rock masses, etc) resulting from distortion of the earth's crust due to forces within it
- (of processes, movements, etc) occurring within the earth's crust and causing structural deformation
Derived forms of tectonic
tectonically, adverbWord Origin for tectonic
C17: from Late Latin tectonicus, from Greek tektonikos belonging to carpentry, from tektōn a builder
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
Scientific definitions for tectonic
tectonic
[ tĕk-tŏn′ĭk ]
Relating to the forces involved in plate tectonics or the structural features resulting from them.
The American Heritage® Science Dictionary
Copyright © 2011. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.