travertine

Also trav·er·tin

[trav-er-teen, -tin]

noun

1. a form of limestone deposited by springs, especially hot springs, used in Italy for building.

travertine

/ ˈtrævətɪn /

noun

1. Also called: calc-sinter. a porous rock consisting of calcium carbonate, used for building

travertine

1. A white, tan, or cream-colored form of limestone, often having a fibrous or concentric appearance. Travertine is formed through the rapid precipitation of calcium carbonate, especially at the mouth of a hot spring or in limestone caves, where it forms stalactites and stalagmites. It is similar to but harder than tufa.

Word History and Origins

Origin of travertine¹

1545–55; < Italian travertino, equivalent to tra- across (< Latin trāns- trans- ) + ( ti ) vertino < Latin Tīburtīnus, equivalent to Tīburt- (stem of Tīburs ) the territory of Tibur ( Tivoli ) + -īnus -ine ¹

Word History and Origins

Origin of travertine¹

C18: from Italian travertino (influenced by tra- _trans- ), from Latin lapis Tīburtīnus Tiburtine stone, from Tīburs the district around Tibur (now Tivoli)

Example Sentences

At the Timken, Kelly incorporated downlighting to accentuate the building’s travertine walls, and engineered grids of soffits and louvers that wash the galleries in soft, ethereal light.

Read more on Los Angeles Times

That accounts for some of Hamilton’s home decor selections: The CB2 bookshelves from Facebook Marketplace, which store artfully arranged ceramics, books and the couple’s neatly stacked shoes and a travertine dining room table, also from Facebook Marketplace.

Read more on Los Angeles Times

Instead, the weird collective intimacy of padding across the travertine floor for a body scan became synonymous with the hassles of 21st-century air travel.

Read more on Slate

The hand-cut travertine labyrinth outside was built in 2001 as a walking meditation.

Read more on Los Angeles Times

The travertine used to build it was mined from the same quarry outside of Rome that supplied stone for the Colosseum, New York City’s Lincoln Center and the Getty Museum.

Read more on Los Angeles Times