tectonics

American  

[tek-ton-iks] / tɛkˈtɒn ɪks /

noun

(used with a singular verb)

1. the science or art of assembling, shaping, or ornamenting materials in construction; the constructive arts in general.

2. structural geology.

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tectonics British  

/ tɛkˈtɒnɪks /

noun

1. the art and science of construction or building

2. the study of the processes by which the earth's crust has attained its present structure See also plate tectonics

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tectonics Scientific  

/ tĕk-tŏn′ĭks /

1. The branch of geology that deals with the broad structural and deformational features of the outer part of the Earth, their origins, and the relationships between them.

2. See more at plate tectonics

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Etymology

Origin of tectonics

First recorded in 1625–35; see origin at tectonic, -ics

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

tectonics

"Since LHS 3844 b lacks such a silicate crust, one may conclude that Earth-like plate tectonics does not apply to this planet, or it is ineffective," says Sebastian Zieba.

From Science Daily ● May 5, 2026

And with no plate tectonics, or wind and rain to wipe this record away, the Moon is a perfect time capsule.

From BBC ● Mar. 29, 2026

Our beautiful encircling topography of mountains and hills is a bowl ready-made by ancient plate tectonics to be filled with smoke and smog.

From Los Angeles Times ● Mar. 26, 2026

With this discovery, Milos stands out as one of the most important natural sites in the Mediterranean for exploring how tectonics, volcanism, and hydrothermal processes interact beneath the sea.

From Science Daily ● Dec. 30, 2025

It is not too much to say that geologists wouldn’t grasp the full implications of this thought for two hundred years, when finally they adopted plate tectonics.

From "A Short History of Nearly Everything" by Bill Bryson