testa

[ tes-tuh ]

/ ˈtɛs tə /

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noun, plural tes·tae

[tes-tee]. /ˈtɛs ti/. Botany.

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

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Origin of testa

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

Words nearby testa

Tessie, Tessin, tessitura, Tess of the D'Urbervilles, test, testa, testacean, testaceous, test act, testacy, testalgia

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2021

How to use testa in a sentence

The Daily Pic: In 1650, Pietro Testa painted a picture of drowning, then drowned himself.
A Painter's Work Kills Him|Blake Gopnik|September 23, 2013|DAILY BEAST
Shermantine even tried to persuade deputy DA Testa, the man who sent him to death row, to make a deal.
‘Speed-Freak Killer’ Wesley Shermantine to Help Police Find Victims|Christine Pelisek|July 19, 2012|DAILY BEAST
“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
Testa ovato-oblonga valde tumida clausa radiatim costata, costis transverse costato-striatis, auriculis minutis, margine crenato.
Narrative of a Survey of the Intertropical and Western Coasts of Australia] [Volume 2 of 2]|Phillip Parker King
Testa subrotunda convexiuscula rugosa et plicata spiraliter sulcata intus argenteo et rubro margaritacea, spira prominula.
Narrative of a Survey of the Intertropical and Western Coasts of Australia] [Volume 2 of 2]|Phillip Parker King
Testa minuta oblique conica tenuis pellucida linea albida opaca et fasciis coccineis ornata, anfractibus valde convexis.
Narrative of a Survey of the Intertropical and Western Coasts of Australia] [Volume 2 of 2]|Phillip Parker King
Testa ovata, conica fulva rudis spiraliter striata sulcata, spira acuta, fauce livida.
Narrative of a Survey of the Intertropical and Western Coasts of Australia] [Volume 2 of 2]|Phillip Parker King
Testa ovato-conica imperforata purpureo-albida laevigata, anfractibus convexis ultimo subangulato, apertura purpurea unifasciata.
Narrative of a Survey of the Intertropical and Western Coasts of Australia] [Volume 2 of 2]|Phillip Parker King

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

Scientific definitions for testa

testa

[ tĕs′tə ]

Plural testae (tĕs′tē′)

See seed coat.