Advertisement

Advertisement

calamite

[ kal-uh-mahyt ]

noun

  1. any fossil plant of the genus Calamites and related genera of the Carboniferous Period, resembling oversized horsetails and constituting much of the coal used as fuel.


calamite

/ ˈkæləˌmaɪt /

noun

  1. any extinct treelike plant of the genus Calamites, of Carboniferous times, related to the horsetails
“Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged” 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012


Discover More

Other Words From

  • cal·a·mi·te·an [kal-, uh, -, mahy, -tee-, uh, n], adjective
  • ca·lam·i·toid [k, uh, -, lam, -i-toid], adjective
Discover More

Word History and Origins

Origin of calamite1

1745–55; < New Latin Calamites the genus name, Latin calamītēs < Greek kalamī́tēs reedlike. See calamus, -ite 1
Discover More

Word History and Origins

Origin of calamite1

C19: from New Latin Calamītes type genus, from Greek kalamitēs reedlike, from kalamos reed
Discover More

Example Sentences

Among tissue petrifactions there are many Calamite stems of various stages of growth.

Calamite, kal′a-mīt, n. a fossil plant abundant in the coal-measures, believed to be a kind of gigantic horse-tails (Equisetace).

Advertisement

Advertisement

Advertisement

Advertisement


calamintcalamitous