theca

American  

[thee-kuh] / ˈθi kə /

noun

plural

thecae

1. a case or receptacle.

2. Botany, Mycology.

   1. a sac, cell, or capsule.

   2. a sporangium.

3. Anatomy, Zoology. a case or sheath enclosing an organ, structure, etc., as the horny covering of an insect pupa or the loose membrane covering the spinal cord.

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theca British  

/ ˈθiːkə /

noun

1. botany an enclosing organ, cell, or spore case, esp the capsule of a moss

2. zoology a hard outer covering, such as the cup-shaped container of a coral polyp

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theca Scientific  

/ thē′kə /

plural

thecae

1. A case, covering, or sheath, such as the pollen sac of an anther, the spore case of a moss, or the outer covering of the pupa of certain insects.

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Other Word Forms

• thecal adjective

Etymology

Origin of theca

1655–65; < Latin thēca, from Greek thḗkē “case, cover,” akin to tithénai “to place, put”

Example Sentences

The graptolites built many theca together to form a branching structure that then drifted in ancient seas and therefore can be found in sedimentary rocks of a certain vintage all around the world.

From Scientific American

From this bud is developed the first zooid and first serial theca of the colony.

From Project Gutenberg

The pear-shaped body is encased in a theca formed by a number of polygonal plates, and is attached by its narrow end.

From Project Gutenberg

Corals have been divided into Aporosa and Perforata, according as the theca and septa are compact and solid, or are perforated by pores containing canals lined by endoderm.

From Project Gutenberg

When the theca of the cord is directly infected the spinal symptoms predominate at first, but as the condition progresses it involves the cerebral membranes, and symptoms of acute general lepto-meningitis ensue.

From Project Gutenberg