ootheca
noun
oo·the·ca
ˌō-ə-ˈthē-kə 
plural oothecae
ˌō-ə-ˈthē-(ˌ)kē
-(ˌ)sē
: a firm-walled and distinctive egg case (as of a cockroach)
Examples of ootheca in a Sentence
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The egg case is called the ootheca, and the number of nymphs (baby cockroaches) per ootheca varies depending on the type of cockroach.
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Danielle Tullo, House Beautiful, 15 June 2023
Depending on the species of praying mantis, the ootheca could have approximately 100-200 eggs, which could certainly hatch earlier than expected after spending a month or so in someone's warm home.
—Kaitlin Menza, House Beautiful, 12 Dec. 2019
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, 22 Sep. 2017
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Danielle Tullo, House Beautiful, 15 June 2023
Depending on the species of praying mantis, the ootheca could have approximately 100-200 eggs, which could certainly hatch earlier than expected after spending a month or so in someone's warm home.
—Kaitlin Menza, House Beautiful, 12 Dec. 2019
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, 22 Sep. 2017
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Cite this Entry
“Ootheca.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/ootheca. Accessed 21 Nov. 2024.
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