tegmen

[ teg-muh n ]

/ ˈtɛg mən /

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.

Nearby words

tefl, teflon, teflurane, teg, tegea, tegmen, tegmen mastoideum, tegmental decussation, tegmental nucleus, tegmental syndrome, tegmentum

Origin of tegmen

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

Related forms

teg·mi·nal

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

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for tegmen

In the Orthoptera the position is quite different, for one tegmen more or less lies over the other.
An Introduction to Entomology: Vol. III (of 4)|William Kirby
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
Tegmen: a covering: sometimes used for the anterior wings in Orthoptera and Neuroptera.
Explanation of Terms Used in Entomology|John. B. Smith
The tegmen tympani are relatively large, but proportionately short.
Neotropical Hylid Frogs, Genus Smilisca|William E. Duellman

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

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

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

Medicine definitions for tegmen

tegmen

[ tĕg′mən ]

n. pl. teg•mi•na (-mə-nə)

A covering or an integument of a part.tegmentum

Science 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.