stalactite

A group of stalactites in Brazil.

From New Latin stalactites, from Ancient Greek σταλακτός (stalaktós, “dripping; dropping”) + Latin -ītēs (suffix with the sense ‘belonging to’ forming adjectives) (modelled after the names of stones ending in -ites). Σταλακτός (Stalaktós) is derived from σταλάσσειν (stalássein, “to drip; to let (something) drip”) + -τός (-tós, suffix forming adjectives denoting possibility from verbs).[1][2]

• (Received Pronunciation) IPA^(key): /ˈstælæktaɪt/, /-lək-/, /stəˈlæktaɪt/

• Audio (Southern England)

  (file)

• (General American) IPA^(key): /stəˈlækˌtaɪt/, /ˈstæləkˌtaɪt/
• Hyphenation: sta‧lac‧tite

stalactite (plural stalactites)

1. (geology) A secondary mineral deposit of calcium carbonate or another mineral, in shapes similar to icicles, that hangs from the roof of a cave.

   Coordinate term: stalagmite

   • 1876, Mark Twain [pseudonym; Samuel Langhorne Clemens], chapter XXXIII, in The Adventures of Tom Sawyer, Hartford, Conn.: The American Publishing Company, →OCLC:

     In one place, near at hand, a stalagmite had been slowly growing up from the ground for ages, builded by the water-drip from a stalactite overhead.

• snottite
• stalactical
• stalactic

• calthemite
• speleothem

• stalactite on Wikipedia.Wikipedia

Borrowed from New Latin stalactites, from Ancient Greek σταλακτός (stalaktós).

• IPA^(key): /sta.lak.tit/

• Audio

  (file)

stalactite f (plural stalactites)

1. (geology) stalactite

   Antonym: stalagmite

2. icicle

• “stalactite”, in Trésor de la langue française informatisé [Digitized Treasury of the French Language], 2012.