tes·ta

(tĕs′tə)

n. pl. tes·tae (-tē′)

The protective, often hard outer coat of a seed.

[Latin, shell.]

American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright © 2016 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

testa

(ˈtɛstə)

n, pl -tae (-tiː)

(Botany) a hard protective outer layer of the seeds of flowering plants; seed coat

[C18: from Latin: shell; see test²]

Collins English Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged, 12th Edition 2014 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1994, 1998, 2000, 2003, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2014

tes•ta

(ˈtɛs tə)

n., pl. -tae (-tē).

the outer, usu. hard, integument or coat of a seed.

[1790–1800; < New Latin, Latin; see test²]

tes·ta

(tĕs′tə)

See seed coat.

The American Heritage® Student Science Dictionary, Second Edition. Copyright © 2014 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

ThesaurusAntonymsRelated WordsSynonymsLegend:

Noun

testa - protective outer layer of seeds of flowering plants

episperm, seed coat

reproductive structure - the parts of a plant involved in its reproduction

seed - a mature fertilized plant ovule consisting of an embryo and its food source and having a protective coat or testa

Mentioned in

References in classic literature

"Dentro la testa!" answered a solemn and imperious voice, accompanied by a menacing gesture.

"Dentro la testa," replied the same voice, with the same menacing accent.

View in context

sativus on the basis of the differences in their testa structures.

Seed Characteristics and Testa Textures some Taxa of Genus Lathyrus L. (Fabaceae) from Turkey

In addition to his mother and stepfather, Emilio Mazza, he is survived by his two children, Jimmy F, Testa of Kennett Square and Kelly Rago and her husband, Bob, of Lititz, PA; two sisters, Marlene Brown and her husband, Tom, of Kennett Square, and Patty Thompson and her husband, Ted, of Avondale; two grandchildren, Tony and Lindsey Rago as well as many nieces and nephews.

Enrico Francis "Harry" Testa

The name Testa Rossa ('redhead' in Italian) came from the car's prominent red valve covers on its distinctive bodywork.

Iconic Ferrari prototype sold for record 10m pounds

Imagine two 1 testa permanent magnets on a stator with their north poles pointing at one another.

+ Motor-generator achieves huge jump in efficiency

Carlo Testa's Italian Cinema and Modern European Literatures: 1945-2000 is a systematic scholarly study of post-WW II Italian cinema within the context of European literatures.

Carlo Testa. Italian Cinema and Modern European Literatures: 1945-2000

Testa, signed by the Twins as a non-drafted free agent in 2008, began this season at Double-A New Britain.

Minnesota Secures the Services of Matt Capps, Nats Grab a Pair of Prospects

Peter Testa, president, said they were committed to raising the bar on sustainability in the produce industry, which has a fairly large carbon footprint.

Testa Produce is going green and platinum

Prior to joining the TSA, Testa worked at US Customs and Border Protection (CBP), most recently holding the position of acting executive director, Enterprise Networks and Technology Support, for CBP's Office of Information and Technology.

US TSA names federal security director for Houston's George Bush Intercontinental Airport

Testa has more than 20 years of experience working extensively in the areas of income tax, estate and personal financial planning for high-net-worth individuals, corporate executives and closely held business owners.

Friedman LLP