before vowels thec-, word-forming element used in botany and zoology with the sense "case, capsule," from Latinized combining form of Greek thēkē "case, receptacle," from PIE *dhek-, suffixed form of root *dhe- "to set, put."
Entries linking to theco-
*dhe-
*dhē-, Proto-Indo-European root meaning "to set, put."
It is the hypothetical source of/evidence for its existence is provided by: Sanskrit dadhati "puts, places;" Avestan dadaiti "he puts;" Old Persian ada "he made;" Hittite dai- "to place;" Greek tithenai "to put, set, place;" Latin facere "to make, do; perform; bring about;" Lithuanian dėti "to put;" Polish dziać się "to be happening;" Russian delat' "to do;" Old High German tuon, German tun, Old English don "to do."
discotheque n.
"club where recorded dance music is played," 1954 as a French word in English; nativized by 1964, from French discothèque "nightclub with recorded music for dancing" (by 1951), also "record library," borrowed 1932 from Italian discoteca "record collection, record library," coined 1927 from disco "phonograph record" (see disc) + -teca "collection" (from Latinized combining form of Greek thēkē "case, receptacle;" see theco-), probably on model of biblioteca "library."