regolith

[reg-uh-lith]

noun

mantle rock.

Origin of regolith

1895–1900; < Greek rhêgo(s) rug, blanket + -lith

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British Dictionary definitions for regolith

regolith

noun

the layer of loose material covering the bedrock of the earth and moon, etc, comprising soil, sand, rock fragments, volcanic ash, glacial drift, etc

Word Origin for regolith

C20: from Greek rhēgos covering, blanket + lithos stone

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

Word Origin and History for regolith

1897, from Greek rhegos "rug, blanket," from PIE *reg- (3) "to dye" (see raga) + lithos "stone" (see litho-).

regolith in Science

regolith

[rĕg′ə-lĭth′]

The layer of rock and mineral fragments that rests on bedrock and is produced by the weathering of rocks. Regolith constitutes the surface of most land.