theca

Meaning

1. Any external case or sheath.
2. The pollen-producing organ usually found in pairs and forming an anther.
3. The twin layers of cells surrounding the basal lamina of an ovarian follicle.
4. The membrane complex enveloping the cells of certain plankton including diatoms and dinoflagellates.
5. The calcareous wall of a corallite, the exoskeleton of a coral polyp.
6. A case for the corporal cloth used in the Eucharist.

Synonyms

sac

film

📽️

head

membrane

meninx

pellicle

scabbard

sheathing

skim

tunic

vagina

veil

velum

spore sac

sporangiocyst

tunica

diaphragm

adventitia

Pronounced as (IPA)

/ˈθiːkə/

Etymology

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