terrazzo

[tuh-raz-oh, -rah-zoh, -rah-tsoh; Italian ter-raht-tsaw]

noun

a mosaic flooring or paving composed of chips of broken stone, usually marble, and cement, polished when in place.

Origin of terrazzo

1895–1900; < Italian: balcony, terraced or flat roof < Vulgar Latin *terrāceus, derivative of Latin terra ground

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018

Examples from the Web for terrazzo

Historical Examples of terrazzo

She threw herself down on the terrazzo floor and clasped the contessa around the knees.
The Saracen: The Holy War
Robert Shea

British Dictionary definitions for terrazzo

terrazzo

noun

a floor or wall finish made by setting marble or other stone chips into a layer of mortar and polishing the surface

Word Origin for terrazzo

C20: from Italian: terrace

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 terrazzo

type of flooring material, 1902, from Italian terrazzo "terrace, balcony" (see terrace).