theca

[thee-kuh]

noun, plural the·cae

[thee-see] /ˈθi si/.

a case or receptacle.
Botany, Mycology.
1. a sac, cell, or capsule.
2. 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.

Origin of theca

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

Related formsthe·cal, adjective

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018

Examples from the Web for theca

Historical Examples of theca

But in Greek theca (, θήκη) is a place to put something, a receptacle.
The Hindu-Arabic Numerals
David Eugene Smith
The costae, longitudinal ribs or rows of spines on the outer surface of the theca.
Encyclopaedia Britannica, 11th Edition, Volume 2, Slice 2
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
This elastic ring is a continuation of the stalk of the theca, which always bursts on the opposite side.
Botany for Ladies
Jane Loudon
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

British Dictionary definitions for theca

theca

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 Formsthecal 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

theca in Medicine