taenia

noun

tae·​nia ˈtē-nē-ə 

variants or less commonly tenia

plural taeniae ˈtē-nē-ˌī  -ˌē  or taenias

1

: a band on a Doric order separating the frieze from the architrave

2

: tapeworm

3

: an ancient Greek fillet

Examples of taenia in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Additionally, winners may have received a woolen ribbon, called a taenia, to wrap around their heads and a palm frond to brandish. —Marisa Sloan, Discover Magazine, 5 Aug. 2021

Word History

Etymology

Latin, ribbon, fillet, from Greek tainia; akin to Greek teinein to stretch — more at thin

First Known Use

1563, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Medical Definition

taenia

noun

tae·​nia ˈtē-nē-ə 

1

a

also tenia

ˈtē-nē-ə 

plural taenias also tenias : tapeworm

b

capitalized : a genus of cyclophyllidean tapeworms that is the type of the family Taeniidae, that comprises forms usually occurring as adults in the intestines of carnivores and as larvae in various ruminants, and that includes the beef tapeworm (T. saginata) and the pork tapeworm (T. solium) of humans

2

also tenia plural taeniae -nē-ˌē  -ˌī  or taenias also teniae or tenias : a band of nervous tissue or of muscle