pumice

American  

[puhm-is] / ˈpʌm ɪs /

noun

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

---

verb (used with object)

pumiced, pumicing

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

pumice British  

/ ˈpʌmɪs, pjuːˈmɪʃəs /

noun

1. 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

1. (tr) to rub or polish with pumice

pumice Scientific  

/ pŭm′ĭs /

1. 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.

---

Other Word Forms

• pumiceous
  adjective
• pumicer
  noun

Etymology

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 pounce ³

Compare meaning

How does pumice compare to similar and commonly confused words? Explore the most common comparisons:

• scoria vs. pumice

Explanation

Pumice is a very light stone that comes from volcanic rock. Formed from lava, pumice is porous, or full of tiny holes. It may sound exotic, but you can buy one at the drug store and scrub your feet with it. The pumice found by a geologist or displayed in a museum exhibit about volcanoes is the same material as the pumice stones that you'd use to smooth the callouses off your feet. Pumice is also useful for "aging" denim (or making stone-washed jeans), and it's included in objects like pencil erasers and cinder blocks. The word comes from the Latin pumex, which shares a root with "foam."

Example Sentences

The pumice samples contained almost no platinum, with levels at or below detection limits.

From Science Daily • Mar. 20, 2026

He died at Stabiae, a few miles south of Pompeii, gazing over a sea rendered unnavigable by pumice and strong opposing winds.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jan. 2, 2026

The Paiute-Shoshone Indians later chipped away at the red pumice stone, which exposed the lighter rock minerals underneath, according to the Bureau of Land Management.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 11, 2025

Besides the acids and bacteria, the balls also contained volcanic rock pumice.

From BBC • Jan. 21, 2025

The pumice rock minefield was dotted with stubborn weeds armed with sharp thistles, which poked up through the cheap layer of thin black plastic under the brick- colored lava bits.

From "Counting by 7s" by Holly Goldberg Sloan