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stalactites

Cultural  
  1. Rock structures formed on the ceilings of caves as water drips down, leaving behind minerals before it falls. (Compare stalagmites.)


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Stalactites grow very slowly.

One easy way to distinguish stalactites from stalagmites is to recall that stalactites “hold tight” to the ceiling of a cave. Stalagmites “might reach the ceiling” of the cave and form a column.

Example Sentences

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These included the chemical signatures preserved in stalactites and stalagmites from two Indian caves and water level histories recorded in five lakes across northwest India.

From Science Daily ● Dec. 14, 2025

The stalactites and stalagmites of Sequoia National Park’s Crystal Cave, a sprawling subterranean wonder that’s been closed for four years, will be accessible again this summer.

From Los Angeles Times ● Apr. 7, 2025

After a short walk through a maze of stalactites, Michael is lowered into the dark.

From BBC ● Nov. 22, 2024

The drips from the stalactites and the hot waterfall from the source inside gives you a natural shower and sauna experience like nowhere else.

From Seattle Times ● Mar. 23, 2024

She bent over Loki and placed the thing she carried above him, winding it about the stalactites that hung from the ceiling of the cave, so that its head was just above Loki’s own.

From "Norse Mythology" by Neil Gaiman

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