tectonic

[tek-ton-ik]

adjective

1. of or relating to building or construction; constructive; architectural.

2. Geology.

   1. pertaining to the structure of the earth's crust.

   2. referring to the forces or conditions within the earth that cause movements of the crust.

   3. designating the results of such movements.

      tectonic valleys.

tectonic

/ tɛkˈtɒnɪk /

adjective

1. denoting or relating to construction or building

2. geology

   1. (of landforms, rock masses, etc) resulting from distortion of the earth's crust due to forces within it

   2. (of processes, movements, etc) occurring within the earth's crust and causing structural deformation

tectonic

1. Relating to the forces involved in plate tectonics or the structural features resulting from them.

Other Word Forms

• tectonically adverb

Word History and Origins

Origin of tectonic¹

1650–60; < Late Latin tectonicus < Greek tektonikós pertaining to construction, equivalent to tekton- (stem of téktōn ) carpenter + -ikos -ic

Word History and Origins

Origin of tectonic¹

C17: from Late Latin tectonicus, from Greek tektonikos belonging to carpentry, from tektōn a builder

Example Sentences

Regular earthquakes happen when stresses that accumulate as tectonic plates grind together over centuries or millennia are suddenly released, creating intense shaking that lasts only seconds.

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This discovery resolves a long-standing geological puzzle: why certain ocean islands located far from tectonic plate boundaries contain chemical signatures that look distinctly continental, even though they lie in the middle of vast oceans.

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Earthquakes are common in the country, particularly along the Hindu Kush mountain range, near where the Eurasian and Indian tectonic plates meet.

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The findings reveal that the planet's tectonic plates were far from still, driving changes that produced oxygen-rich seas and the emergence of early eukaryotes -- organisms that would eventually give rise to plants, animals, and fungi.

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This slow breakup helps explain puzzling features from Earth's past, such as abandoned fragments of old tectonic plates and bursts of volcanic activity in unexpected places.

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Related Words

• anatomical 
• architectural 
• basic 
• constitutional 
• skeletal