speleothem en · NOUN
Pronunciation
- (US) audio
- /ˈspiːlioʊˌθɛm/ (UK)
- /ˈspiːliəˌθɛm/ (US)
Etymology
From Ancient Greek σπήλαιον (spḗlaion, “cave”) + θέμα (théma, “what is laid down”).
Meanings
-
Any secondary mineral, deposited in a natural cave by the action of water. Includes formations such as stalactites, stalagmites, flowstones, and helictites.
But it is possible that the painting itself might be thousands of years older because the technique only assesses the age of a mineral deposit, speleothem, that formed on the cave walls.
2021 January 13, Becky Ferreira, “Pig Painting May Be World’s Oldest Cave Art Yet, Archaeologists Say”, in The New York Times, →ISSN:
Forms
| Spelling | Features | Labels | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| speleothems | Number=Plur | lexicographic |
Deriveds
Hyponyms
flowstone · stalactite · rimstone · stalagmite · cave pearl
Synonyms
Translations (10)
cmn 洞穴沉積物 /洞穴沉积物 (secondary mineral, deposited in a cave by the action of water) · pt espeleotema (secondary mineral, deposited in a cave by the action of water) · ja 二次生成物 (secondary mineral, deposited in a cave by the action of water) · fr spéléothème (secondary mineral, deposited in a cave by the action of water) · it speleotema (secondary mineral, deposited in a cave by the action of water) · de Speläothem (secondary mineral, deposited in a cave by the action of water) · fi tippukivi (secondary mineral, deposited in a cave by the action of water) · es espeleotema (secondary mineral, deposited in a cave by the action of water) · cs speleotém (secondary mineral, deposited in a cave by the action of water) · ko 스펠레오뎀 (secondary mineral, deposited in a cave by the action of water)