From Greek tektōn 'builder,' first for architectural construction, then for the 'building' and movement of Earth's crustal plates.
Relating to the structure and movement of the Earth's crust, or denoting large-scale, fundamental change.
From Greek tektonikos 'pertaining to building,' from tektōn 'builder, carpenter.' The geological sense arose in the 19th century when scientists began to understand Earth's crust as constructed of moving plates. The figurative sense of 'tectonic shift' (a fundamental change) emerged in the late 20th century. Key