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Webster 1913 Edition

Theca

‖

The′ca

,
Noun.
;
pl.
Thecae
(#)
.
[L., fr. Gr. [GREEK] a case to put anything in. See
Tick
a cover.]
1.
A sheath; a case;
as, the
theca
, or cell, of an anther; the
theca
, or spore case, of a fungus; the
theca
of the spinal cord.
2.
(Zool.)
(a)
The chitinous cup which protects the hydranths of certain hydroids.
(b)
The more or less cuplike calicle of a coral.
(c)
The wall forming a calicle of a coral.

Definition 2024

theca

theca

See also: -theca

English

Strawberry anther with parallel thecae

Noun

theca ‎(plural thecas or thecae)

  1. (biology) Any external case or sheath.
  2. (botany) The pollen producing organ usually found in pairs and forming an anther.
  3. (medicine) The twin layers of cells surrounding the basal lamina of an ovarian follicle
  4. (microbiology, planktology) The membrane complex enveloping the cells of certain plankton including diatoms and dinoflagellates
  5. (marine biology) The calcareous wall of a corallite, the exoskeleton of a coral polyp
Theca (1) of a dinoflagellate

Derived terms

Related terms

Anagrams

Latin

Etymology

From Ancient Greek θήκη ‎(thḗkē, “a case, box, receptacle”), from τίθημι ‎(títhēmi, “put, set, place”).

Pronunciation

Noun

thēca f ‎(genitive thēcae); first declension

  1. a case, envelope, sheath

Inflection

First declension.

Case Singular Plural
nominative thēca thēcae
genitive thēcae thēcārum
dative thēcae thēcīs
accusative thēcam thēcās
ablative thēcā thēcīs
vocative thēca thēcae

Descendants

See also

References

Etymology

From New Latin, from Latin theca, from Ancient Greek θήκη ‎(thḗkē, “a case, box, receptacle”), from τίθημι ‎(títhēmi, “put, set, place”).

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