Thecal Matter

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A 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

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The 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

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  1. ^ PhD Comics
  2. ^ [http://palimpsest.stanford.edu/byform/mailing- lists/exlibris/1993/09/msg00008.html: Stanford]
  3. ^ 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).
  4. ^ Botany
  5. ^ Zoological
  6. ^ [http://www.merriam- webster.com/dictionary/theca: Noun]