tectonic adj 1: pertaining to the structure or movement of the earth's crust; "tectonic plates"; "tectonic valleys" 2: of or pertaining to construction or architecture [syn: {tectonic}, {architectonic}]
Tectonic \Tec*ton"ic\, a. [L. tectonicus, Gr. ?, fr. ?, ?, a carpenter, builder.] 1. Of or pertaining to building or construction; architectural. [1913 Webster] 2. (Biol.) Structural. [Webster 1913 Suppl.] 3. (Geol. & Phys. Geog.) 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. +PJC]