testa

[ tes-tuh ]

/ ˈtɛs tə /

noun, plural tes·tae [tes-tee] /ˈtɛs ti/. Botany.

the outer, usually hard, integument or coat of a seed.

Words nearby testa

test-market, test-tube, test-tube baby, test-tube skin, test., testa, testacean, testaceous, testacy, testalgia, testament

Origin of testa

1790–1800; < New Latin, Latin; see test²

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

Examples from the Web for testa

“He had over the years made different offerings, and some were really ridiculous,” Testa says.
‘Speed-Freak Killer’ Wesley Shermantine to Help Police Find Victims|Christine Pelisek|July 19, 2012|DAILY BEAST
Testa says Huckaby's attempts to divert attention from herself show that she was sane.
Melissa Huckaby's Murder Motive|Jennifer Wadsworth|June 18, 2010|DAILY BEAST
Testa—who is tall and intense—says her demeanor led detectives to peg her as a suspect.
Melissa Huckaby's Murder Motive|Jennifer Wadsworth|June 18, 2010|DAILY BEAST
“I would say that Melissa was tempted by these girls,” says Testa.
Melissa Huckaby's Murder Motive|Jennifer Wadsworth|June 18, 2010|DAILY BEAST

This property appears to be associated with one of the layers of the testa.
Encyclopaedia Britannica, 11th Edition, Volume 17, Slice 4|Various
And then the Parmesan, "I will put him to sleep and bear him to the capo in testa in our name!"
"Persons Unknown"|Virginia Tracy
Before the tenth century the houses were mostly of wood, and thatched with straw or shingles (Testa, p. 11).
The Evolution of States|J. M. Robertson
Tak' dem to capo in testa for show extrra gooda faith in nama da Arma of Zhoostees.
"Persons Unknown"|Virginia Tracy
Testa plerumque spir elongat, apertur ad basin angustat, siphone superiore parvo aut nullo.
Zoological Illustrations, Volume I|William Swainson

British Dictionary definitions for testa

testa

/ (ˈtɛstə) /

noun plural -tae (-tiː)

a hard protective outer layer of the seeds of flowering plants; seed coat

Word Origin for testa

C18: from Latin: shell; see test ²

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

Science definitions for testa

testa

[ tĕs′tə ]

Plural testae (tĕs′tē′)

See seed coat.