Thecal Matter
editA whimsical name for PhD thesis. Probably first used [1] in that
context by Jorge Cham, the creator of PhD Comics. Now popular as the [[google
talk]] status text of many Graduate Students or Research Scholars (as they are
known in India).
The word has antecedents from 1993 onwards in universities such as the Stanford.[2]
Definitions
editThe word "Thecal" by itself has various meanings in the medical and botanical context.
1. Etymology: from the Greek word "theke" meaning sheath
pertaining to a theca or sheath. [3]
From Mosby's Medical Dictionary, 8th edition. © 2009, Elsevier
2. the·cal (thkl)
adj.
Of or relating to a sheath, especially a tendon sheath. [3]
From The American Heritage® Medical Dictionary Copyright © 2007, 2004 by Houghton Mifflin
Company.
3. n., pl. -cae (-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.
[Latin thēca, case, receptacle, from Greek thēkē.]thecal the'cal (-kəl) adj. [4]
4. theca (t̸hē′kə)
noun pl. -·cae-sē
BOT. a spore case, sac, or capsule
ZOOL., ANAT. any sheath or sac enclosing an organ or a whole organism, as the covering of
an insect pupa Etymology: ModL < L < Gr thēkē, a case < IE *dhēkā < base *dhē-, to place, put > do, L
facere theca Related Forms
the′·cal adjective [5]
From Webster's New World College Dictionary Copyright © 2005 by Wiley Publishing, Inc.,
Cleveland, Ohio.
5. the·ca
Pronunciation:
\ˈthē-kə\
Function:
noun
Inflected Form(s):
plural the·cae \ˈthē-ˌsē, -ˌkē\
Etymology:
New Latin, from Greek thēkē case
Date:
circa 1666
- an enveloping sheath or case of an animal or animal part
— the·cal \ˈthē-kəl\ adjective [6]
From merriam-webster online dictionary
References
edit- ^ PhD Comics
- ^ [http://palimpsest.stanford.edu/byform/mailing- lists/exlibris/1993/09/msg00008.html: Stanford]
- ^ a b [http://medical- dictionary.thefreedictionary.com/thecal: A Definition of Theca] Cite error: The named reference "theca" was defined multiple times with different content (see the help page).
- ^ Botany
- ^ Zoological
- ^ [http://www.merriam- webster.com/dictionary/theca: Noun]