regolith

[ reg-uh-lith ]

/ ˈrɛg ə lɪθ /

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noun

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Origin of regolith

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

Words nearby regolith

regmaker, regnal, regnant, regnat populus, rego, regolith, regorge, regosol, Reg. prof., regr., regrate

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

How to use regolith in a sentence

There’s subsurface ice underneath a dry layer of regolith, just like we see on Mars.
NASA Is on the Cusp of a New Era - Issue 108: Change|Brian Gallagher|December 8, 2021|Nautilus
Instead it’s trapped inside regolith—the layer of rock and fine dust that covers the moon’s surface.
The Moon’s Surface Has Enough Oxygen to Sustain 8 Billion People for 100,000 Years|John Grant|November 14, 2021|Singularity Hub
Extracting oxygen from regolith would also require substantial industrial equipment.
The Moon’s Surface Has Enough Oxygen to Sustain 8 Billion People for 100,000 Years|John Grant|November 14, 2021|Singularity Hub
It has been created by a vast array of organisms working on the soil’s parent material—regolith, derived from hard rock—over millions of years.
The Moon’s Surface Has Enough Oxygen to Sustain 8 Billion People for 100,000 Years|John Grant|November 14, 2021|Singularity Hub

The moon’s regolith is made up of approximately 45 percent oxygen.
The Moon’s Surface Has Enough Oxygen to Sustain 8 Billion People for 100,000 Years|John Grant|November 14, 2021|Singularity Hub

British Dictionary definitions for regolith

regolith

/ (ˈrɛɡəlɪθ) /

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

Scientific definitions for regolith

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.