stalactite en · NOUN
Pronunciation
- /stəˈlækˌtaɪt/ (General-American)
- (Southern-England) audio
- /stəˈlæktaɪt/ (Received-Pronunciation)
- /ˈstæləkˌtaɪt/ (General-American)
- /-lək-/ (Received-Pronunciation)
- /ˈstælæktaɪt/ (Received-Pronunciation)
Etymology
Etymology tree Ancient Greek σταλάσσειν (stalássein) Proto-Indo-European *-tós Proto-Hellenic *-tós Ancient Greek -τός (-tós) Ancient Greek σταλακτός (stalaktós) Proto-Indo-European *-tósder. Ancient Greek -της (-tēs)der. Ancient Greek -ῑ́της (-ī́tēs)der. New Latin -ītēs New Latin stalactītēsbor. English stalactite From New Latin stalactītēs, 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).
Meanings
-
A secondary mineral deposit of calcium carbonate or another mineral, in shapes similar to icicles, that hangs from the roof of a cave.
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.
1876, Mark Twain [pseudonym; Samuel Langhorne Clemens], chapter XXXIII, in The Adventures of Tom Sawyer, Hartford, Conn.: The American Publishing Company, →OCLC:There is the Hang Ken cave with its waterfalls spilling into large lagoons, shimmering goldlike mineral deposits and soaring columns created over thousands of years when stalactites hanging from the cave roof met stalagmite formations building from the cave floor.
2014 October 31, David W. Lloyd, “Deep in Vietnam, Exploring a Colossal Cave”, in The New York Times:
Forms
| Spelling | Features | Labels | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| stalactites | Number=Plur | lexicographic |
Coordinates
Deriveds
stalactitiform · stalactitical · snottite · stalactitic · stalactical · stalactic
Relateds
Translations (45)
eo stalaktito (mineral deposit hanging from the roof of a cave) · tr sarkıt (mineral deposit hanging from the roof of a cave) · uk сталакти́т (mineral deposit hanging from the roof of a cave) · ka სტალაქტიტი (mineral deposit hanging from the roof of a cave) · pl stalaktyt (mineral deposit hanging from the roof of a cave) · fi stalaktiitti (mineral deposit hanging from the roof of a cave) · fi tippukivipuikko (mineral deposit hanging from the roof of a cave) · vi thạch nhũ (mineral deposit hanging from the roof of a cave) · ja 鍾乳石 (mineral deposit hanging from the roof of a cave) · bg сталакти́т (mineral deposit hanging from the roof of a cave) · nl druipsteen (mineral deposit hanging from the roof of a cave) · cmn 鐘乳石 /钟乳石 (mineral deposit hanging from the roof of a cave) · it stalattite (mineral deposit hanging from the roof of a cave) · tr stalaktit (mineral deposit hanging from the roof of a cave) · tl estalaktita (mineral deposit hanging from the roof of a cave) · lv stalaktīts (mineral deposit hanging from the roof of a cave) · hy շթաքար (mineral deposit hanging from the roof of a cave) · fo dropasteinur (mineral deposit hanging from the roof of a cave) · ca caramell (mineral deposit hanging from the roof of a cave) · fr stalactite (mineral deposit hanging from the roof of a cave) · sl stalaktit (mineral deposit hanging from the roof of a cave) · nl druipsteenpegel (mineral deposit hanging from the roof of a cave) · es estalactita (mineral deposit hanging from the roof of a cave) · vi nhũ đá (mineral deposit hanging from the roof of a cave) · ru сталакти́т (mineral deposit hanging from the roof of a cave) · de Stalaktit (mineral deposit hanging from the roof of a cave) · pt estalactite (mineral deposit hanging from the roof of a cave) · sv stalaktit (mineral deposit hanging from the roof of a cave) · sk stalaktit (mineral deposit hanging from the roof of a cave) · th หินย้อย (mineral deposit hanging from the roof of a cave) · hu sztalaktit (mineral deposit hanging from the roof of a cave) · ca estalactita (mineral deposit hanging from the roof of a cave) · el σταλακτίτης (mineral deposit hanging from the roof of a cave) · pl sopleniec (mineral deposit hanging from the roof of a cave) · tl tulumbato (mineral deposit hanging from the roof of a cave) · is dropasteinn (mineral deposit hanging from the roof of a cave) · mi keoiri (mineral deposit hanging from the roof of a cave) · id stalaktit (mineral deposit hanging from the roof of a cave) · be сталякты́т (mineral deposit hanging from the roof of a cave) · he נָטִיף (mineral deposit hanging from the roof of a cave) · tr damla taş (mineral deposit hanging from the roof of a cave) · be сталакты́т (mineral deposit hanging from the roof of a cave) · cs stalaktit (mineral deposit hanging from the roof of a cave) · ga aolchuisne (mineral deposit hanging from the roof of a cave) · ko 종유석 (mineral deposit hanging from the roof of a cave)