·noun A continuous and, usually, structureless layer which covers more or less of the exterior of many corals.
ĕpĭthēca, ae, f., = ἐπιθήκη, an addition , increase , Plaut. Trin. 4, 3, 18. ...
A New Latin Dictionary by Charlton T. Lewis Ph.D. and Charles Short, LL. D.