Thecae

3 definitions found

From The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48 [gcide]:

  Theca \The"ca\, n.; pl. {Thecae}. [L., fr. Gr. ? 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.
        [1913 Webster]


  
     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.
            [1913 Webster]

From WordNet (r) 2.0 [wn]:

  theca
       n 1: a case or sheath especially a pollen sac or moss capsule
            [syn: {sac}]
       2: outer sheath of the pupa of certain insects
       [also: {thecae} (pl)]

From WordNet (r) 2.0 [wn]:

  thecae
       See {theca}