pumice

[ puhm-is ]

/ ˈpʌm ɪs /

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noun

Also called pumice stone . a porous or spongy form of volcanic glass, used as an abrasive.

verb (used with object), pum·iced, pum·ic·ing.

to rub, smooth, clean, etc., with pumice.

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His boss, whom he admires, is waiting to meet with him about the big project.

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Origin of pumice

First recorded before 1000; from Latin pūmic-, stem of pūmex “pumice stone”; replacing Middle English pomis(e), pomish(e), pomice, from Middle French pomis, from Latin; compare Old English pumic- (from Latin ), in pumicstān “pumice stone”; see pounce³

OTHER WORDS FROM pumice

pu·mi·ceous

[pyoo-mish-uhs], /pyuˈmɪʃ əs/, adjectivepum·ic·er, noun

Words nearby pumice

pulvinar, pulvinate, pulvinus, puma, pumelo, pumice, pumice country, pummel, pummelo, pump, pump-action

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use pumice in a sentence

By analyzing fist-sized pumice rocks in the volcano’s vicinity with radiometric dating, the researchers calculated that the eruption took place around 233,000 years ago.
Eastern Africa’s oldest human fossils are more ancient than we realized|Kate Baggaley|January 12, 2022|Popular-Science
When you pot your plant, you can add a lightweight volcanic rock like perlite or pumice for better drainage, especially for plants like succulents that prefer drier soils.
Quick and dirty tips to make sure your plants love the soil they’re in|Ellen Airhart|October 7, 2021|Popular-Science
The top and bottom (fronts) were trimmed perfectly smooth, polished with pumice-stone, and often painted black.
The Private Life of the Romans|Harold Whetstone Johnston
He banked left and followed the contour of the mountain, and found another group of soldiers camped near the pumice works.
The Flaming Mountain|Harold Leland Goodwin

They've probably set things up at the pumice works if there's water there.
The Flaming Mountain|Harold Leland Goodwin
Rick circled low over the pumice works while the loud-speakers blasted at the troops below.
The Flaming Mountain|Harold Leland Goodwin
Kneeling with one knee upon the ground, each took me by a leg and began rubbing the soles of my feet with a pumice stone.
Lippincott's Magazine of Popular Literature and Science, Volume 11, No. 24, March, 1873|Various

British Dictionary definitions for pumice

pumice

/ (ˈpʌmɪs) /

noun

Also called: pumice stone a light porous acid volcanic rock having the composition of rhyolite, used for scouring and, in powdered form, as an abrasive and for polishing

verb

(tr) to rub or polish with pumice

Derived forms of pumice

pumiceous (pjuːˈmɪʃəs), adjective

Word Origin for pumice

C15 pomys, from Old French pomis, from Latin pūmex

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 pumice

pumice

[ pŭm′ĭs ]

A usually light-colored, porous, lightweight rock of volcanic origin. The pores form when water vapor and gases escape from the lava during its quick solidification into rock.

pumice

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Origin of pumice

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How to use pumice in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for pumice

Derived forms of pumice

Word Origin for pumice

Scientific definitions for pumice