laterite
a reddish ferruginous soil formed in tropical regions by the decomposition of the underlying rocks.
a similar soil formed of materials deposited by water.
any soil produced by the decomposition of the rocks beneath it.
Origin of laterite
1Other words from laterite
- lat·er·it·ic [lat-uh-rit-ik], /ˌlæt əˈrɪt ɪk/, adjective
Words Nearby laterite
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
How to use laterite in a sentence
laterite may be roughly divided into two kinds, high-level and low-level laterites.
The clay called cabook in Ceylon is essentially a variety of laterite.
These chemical changes may be the cause of the frequent concretionary structure and veining in the laterite.
Attempts are being made to utilize laterite as an ore of aluminium, a purpose for which some varieties seem well adapted.
These are believed to resemble laterite, a red and highly oxidized soil which is found in great abundance in equatorial regions.
Climatic Changes | Ellsworth Huntington
British Dictionary definitions for laterite
/ (ˈlætəˌraɪt) /
any of a group of deposits consisting of residual insoluble deposits of ferric and aluminium oxides: formed by weathering of rocks in tropical regions
Origin of laterite
1Derived forms of laterite
- lateritic (ˌlætəˈrɪtɪk), adjective
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
Scientific definitions for laterite
[ lăt′ə-rīt′ ]
A red, porous, claylike soil formed by the leaching of silica-rich components and enrichment of aluminum and iron hydroxides. They are especially common in humid climates. Laterites that are poor in iron oxides and rich in aluminum oxides are called bauxites. Also called latosol See more at bauxite.
The American Heritage® Science Dictionary Copyright © 2011. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
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