theca

[ thee-kuh ]

/ ˈθi kə /

noun, plural the·cae [thee-see] /ˈθi si/.

a case or receptacle.

Botany, Mycology.

a sac, cell, or capsule.
a sporangium.

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.

Nearby words

thebaid, thebaine, theban, thebe, thebes, theca, theca cordis, theca folliculi, theca-cell tumor, thecal, thecal sac

Origin of theca

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

Related forms

the·cal, adjective

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

Examples from the Web for theca

A chronic inflammatory involvement of a theca through which an important tendon plays may cause adhesions to form.
Lameness of the Horse|John Victor Lacroix
The theca became sessile, and in its later developments much flattened (fig. 11).
Encyclopaedia Britannica, 11th Edition, Volume 8, Slice 10|Various
The pear-shaped body is encased in a theca formed by a number of polygonal plates, and is attached by its narrow end.
Encyclopaedia Britannica, 11th Edition, Volume 8, Slice 10|Various
This theca grows in the direction of the apex of the sicula, to which it adheres by its dorsal wall.
Encyclopaedia Britannica, 11th Edition, Volume 12, Slice 3|Various

Horizontal plates or floors found in some Corals, extending across the cavity of the "theca" from side to side.
The Ancient Life History of the Earth|Henry Alleyne Nicholson

British Dictionary definitions for theca

theca

/ (ˈθiːkə) /

noun plural -cae (-siː)

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

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

Derived Forms

thecal or thecate, adjective

Word Origin for theca

C17: from Latin thēca, from Greek thēkē case; related to Greek tithenai to place

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 theca

theca

[ thē′kə ]

n. pl. the•cae (-sē′, -kē′)

A case, covering, or sheath, such as the outer covering of the cocoon of certain insects.

Science definitions for theca

theca

[ thē′kə ]

Plural thecae (thē′sē′, -kē′)

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.