plural tecta
ˈtek-tə 
: a bodily structure resembling or serving as a roof
especially
: the dorsal part of the midbrain
Examples of tectum in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
In turn, the tectum/colliculus signals nerve cells to activate muscles.
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Tom Siegfried, Smithsonian Magazine, 4 Jan. 2023
And in the tectum, a brain region that processes images from the optic nerve, the neurons of salamanders were often strewn chaotically about—a trait seen in embryonic or larval brains—whereas in frogs, the neurons were nicely layered.
—Douglas Fox, Scientific American, 1 Feb. 2022
The researchers also recorded activity from the ocular tectum, a brain area involved in basic visual processing in owls and many other vertebrates.
—Joanna Klein, New York Times, 3 July 2018
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Tom Siegfried, Smithsonian Magazine, 4 Jan. 2023
And in the tectum, a brain region that processes images from the optic nerve, the neurons of salamanders were often strewn chaotically about—a trait seen in embryonic or larval brains—whereas in frogs, the neurons were nicely layered.
—Douglas Fox, Scientific American, 1 Feb. 2022
The researchers also recorded activity from the ocular tectum, a brain area involved in basic visual processing in owls and many other vertebrates.
—Joanna Klein, New York Times, 3 July 2018
Cite this Entry
“Tectum.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/tectum. Accessed 4 Nov. 2025.
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