plica

American  

[plahy-kuh] / ˈplaɪ kə /

noun

plural

plicae

1. Zoology, Anatomy. a fold or folding.

2. Also called plica polonica.  Pathology. a matted, filthy condition of the hair, caused by disease, vermin, etc.

3. (in medieval music) a vertical mark attached to a neume, standing for an interpolated melodic ornament.

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plica British  

/ ˈplaɪkə /

noun

1. Also called: fold.  anatomy a folding over of parts, such as a fold of skin, muscle, peritoneum, etc

2. pathol a condition of the hair characterized by matting, filth, and the presence of parasites

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Other Word Forms

• plical adjective

Etymology

Origin of plica

1675–85; < Medieval Latin: a fold, back formation from Latin plicāre to fold, ply ²