ootheca

noun

oo·the·ca | \ˌō-ə-ˈthē-kə

\

plural oothecae\ˌō-ə-ˈthē-(ˌ)kē,

-(ˌ)sē \

Definition of ootheca

: a firm-walled and distinctive egg case (as of a cockroach)

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Behind the female’s bottomless appetite is the extraordinary size of her egg case, or ootheca, a frothy proteinous mass studded with up to 400 eggs that can amount to half her body weight. — Natalie Angier, New York Times, "Birds Beware: The Praying Mantis Wants Your Brain," 22 Sep. 2017

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'ootheca.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

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Time Traveler for ootheca

The first known use of ootheca was circa 1856

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