tegmen

[ teg-muhn ]

/ ˈtɛg mən /

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noun, plural teg·mi·na

[teg-muh-nuh]. /ˈtɛg mə nə/.

a cover, covering, or integument.

Botany. the delicate inner integument or coat of a seed.

(of certain orthopterous insects) one of a pair of leathery forewings that forms a protective covering for the hind wings.

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Origin of tegmen

1800–10; <Latin: covering (also tegumen, tegimen with anaptyctic vowel), equivalent to teg(ere) to cover + -men noun suffix

OTHER WORDS FROM tegmen

teg·mi·nal

[teg-muh-nl], /ˈtɛg mə nl/, adjectivesub·teg·mi·nal, adjective

Words nearby tegmen

tefillin, TEFL, Teflon, teg, Tegea, tegmen, Tegucigalpa, tegula, tegular, tegument, Tehachapi Mountains

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

How to use tegmen in a sentence

The tegmen tympani are much reduced and maintain only cartilaginous contact with the posterior arms of the squamosals.
Systematic Status of a South American Frog, Allophryne ruthveni Gaige|John D. Lynch
Its roof, the tegmen tympani, is continuous with that of the attic.
A System of Operative Surgery, Volume IV (of 4)|Various
Thus, if the procedure be carried out through the tegmen tympani, the brain is explored in an upward direction.
A System of Operative Surgery, Volume IV (of 4)|Various
In this case the Anal Area of one Tegmen covers that of the other.
An Introduction to Entomology: Vol. IV (of 4)|William Kirby

Tegmen: a covering: sometimes used for the anterior wings in Orthoptera and Neuroptera.
Explanation of Terms Used in Entomology|John. B. Smith

British Dictionary definitions for tegmen

tegmen

/ (ˈtɛɡmən) /

noun plural -mina (-mɪnə)

either of the leathery forewings of the cockroach and related insects

the delicate inner covering of a seed

any similar covering or layer

Derived forms of tegmen

tegminal, adjective

Word Origin for tegmen

C19: from Latin: a cover, variant of tegimen, from tegere to cover

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 tegmen

tegmen

[ tĕg′mən ]

A covering or integument, such as the tough leathery forewing of certain insects or the inner coat of a seed.