caliche

[ kuh-lee-chee ]

noun

, Geology.

1. a surface deposit consisting of sand or clay impregnated with crystalline salts such as sodium nitrate or sodium chloride.
2. a zone of calcium carbonate or other carbonates in soils of semiarid regions.

caliche

/ kæˈliːtʃɪ /

noun

1. Also calledcalcrete a bed of sand or clay in arid regions cemented by calcium carbonate, sodium chloride, and other soluble minerals
2. a surface layer of soil encrusted with calcium carbonate, occurring in arid regions Also calledduricrust

caliche

/ kə-lē′chē /

1. See hardpan

Word History and Origins

Origin of caliche¹

1855–60; < Spanish: flake of lime, equivalent to cal lime (< Latin calc-; chalk ) + -iche noun suffix

Word History and Origins

Origin of caliche¹

C20: from American Spanish, from Latin calx lime

Example Sentences

Magnificent language, a luminous, fevered dream of obsessive caliche-hued desert love.

From The Daily Beast

All this is the result of digging for caliche, and blasting it out of the sandy bed in which it has lain God only knows how long.

From Project Gutenberg

Hence, roads are referred to as clay, gumbo, sandy or caliche roads as local custom may elect.

From Project Gutenberg

The caliche varies in thickness from a few inches to 10 or 12 feet, and rests on a soft stratum of earth called cova.

From Project Gutenberg

The caliche, or raw nitrate of soda, is not equally distributed over the pampas.

From Project Gutenberg

The caliche is then separated by means of picks from the overlying costra and carried to the refinery.

From Project Gutenberg