tessera

[ tes-er-uh ]

/ ˈtɛs ər ə /

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noun, plural tes·ser·ae

[tes-uh-ree]. /ˈtɛs əˌri/.

one of the small pieces used in mosaic work.

a small square of bone, wood, or the like, used in ancient times as a token, tally, ticket, etc.

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Origin of tessera

1640–50; <Latin <Greek (Ionic) tésseresfour

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

How to use tessera in a sentence

The nave and porch were floored with plain red tesserae: in the apse was a simple mosaic panel in red, black and white.
Encyclopaedia Britannica, 11th Edition, Volume 4, Part 3|Various
The vats are often lined with cement containing datable potsherds, and are sometimes paved with mosaic tesserae.
How to Observe in Archaeology|Various
Each of these men who have gone the rounds (tessarii) at daybreak conveys the tesserae to the Tribune on duty.
The Histories of Polybius, Vol. I (of 2)|Polybius
In the former the cubes, tesserae, are on the average a little less than half an inch square.
Pompeii, Its Life and Art|August Mau

Four tali were used at a time and they, like the tesserae, were generally thrown from a box, fritillus.
Cato Maior de Senectute|Marcus Tullius Cicero

British Dictionary definitions for tessera

tessera

/ (ˈtɛsərə) /

noun plural -serae (-səˌriː)

a small square tile of stone, glass, etc, used in mosaics

a die, tally, etc, used in classical times, made of bone or wood

Derived forms of tessera

tesseral, adjective

Word Origin for tessera

C17: from Latin, from Ionic Greek tesseres four

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