tectonic

• POS: Adjective
• HYPHEN: tec=ton=ic

CIDE DICTIONARY

tectonic, a. [L. tectonicus, Gr. , fr. , , a carpenter, builder.].

•  Of or pertaining to building or construction; architectural.  [1913 Webster]
•  Structural.  [Webster 1913 Suppl.]
•  Of, pert. to, or designating, the rock structures and external forms resulting from the deformation of the earth's crust; as, tectonic arches or valleys; tectonic plates.  [Webster 1913 Suppl.]

OXFORD DICTIONARY

tectonic, adj.
1 of or relating to building or construction.
2 Geol. relating to the deformation of the earth's crust or to the structural changes caused by this (see plate tectonics).

Derivative

tectonically adv.

Etymology

LL tectonicus f. Gk tektonikos f. tekton -onos carpenter