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terra alba

American  
[al-buh, awl-] / ˈæl bə, ˈɔl- /

noun

  1. any of various white, earthy or powdery substances, as pipe clay, gypsum, kaolin, or magnesia.

terra alba British  
/ ˈælbə /

noun

  1. a white finely powdered form of gypsum, used to make paints, paper, etc

  2. any of various other white earthy substances, such as kaolin, pipeclay, and magnesia

"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

Etymology

Origin of terra alba

1870–75; < Latin: white earth

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.