Dictionary

laterite en · NOUN

Pronunciation

• /ˈlatəɹʌɪt/ (UK)

Etymology

From Latin later (“brick”) + -ite.

Meanings

1. (countable, uncountable) A red hard or gravel-like soil or subsoil formed in the tropics that has been leached of soluble minerals leaving insoluble iron and aluminium oxides and hydroxides; used to make bricks and roads.
   • Constant tropical rain makes a mush of hard old lavas. The end product is a brick red soil called laterite. 2004, Richard Fortey, The Earth, Folio Society, published 2011, page 38:
   • Although the track is ballasted, it does not prevent clouds of reddish dust from the laterite soil blowing about when the train is in motion; after a journey with the windows open a bath is a necessity! 1948 September and October, W. S. Darby, “The Gold Coast Railway—1”, in Railway Magazine, page 287:

Forms

Deriveds

lateritic · laterization

Synonyms

murram

Translations (6)

pl lateryt (red hard or gravel-like soil or subsoil) · fi lateriitti (red hard or gravel-like soil or subsoil) · vi đá ong (red hard or gravel-like soil or subsoil) · el λατερίτης (red hard or gravel-like soil or subsoil) · es laterita (red hard or gravel-like soil or subsoil) · fr latérite (red hard or gravel-like soil or subsoil)