travertine

[ trav-er-teen, -tin ]

noun

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

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Origin of travertine

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 (see Tivoli) + -īnus-ine¹

Also trav·er·tin [trav-er-tin]. /ˈtræv ər tɪn/.

Words Nearby travertine

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

How to use travertine in a sentence

Instead of jungle, you’re surrounded by travertine rock and warm, crystal blue waters.
This is the Mexico for Adventurers | jversteegh | February 3, 2022 | Outside Online
Sixteen lakes full of calcium carbonate and travertine cascade into each other by means of waterfalls of all shapes and sizes.
This Tourist Hotspot Is Open—and Blissfully Quiet | Lucie Grace | July 14, 2021 | The Daily Beast
The bleached concrete and travertine courtyard of the research institute is pristine, evoking calm and simplicity, in accordance with the directive of its founder, Jonas Salk, famous for developing the polio vaccine.
Scientists Report Creating the First Embryo With Human and Non-Human Primate Cells | Alice Park | April 15, 2021 | Time
You've no idea how well those columns of honey-coloured travertine would become you, Michael.
Sinister Street, vol. 1 | Compton Mackenzie
The slab upon which the mosaic is made, is generally of travertine, (or Tiburtine) stones, connected together by iron cramps.
The Mirror Of Literature, Amusement, And Instruction | Various

While the deposits here are chiefly lime or travertine, those of the geysers and of the other hot springs are silica.
Your National Parks | Enos A. Mills
The immense travertine columns of the faade form part of a portico which is over two hundred feet in length.
Cathedral Cities of Italy | William Wiehe Collins
The pavement of the square, on which you may still walk, was of travertine.
The Wonders of Pompeii | Marc Monnier

British Dictionary definitions for travertine

travertine

travertin

/ (ˈtrævətɪn) /

noun

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

Origin of travertine

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

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

Scientific definitions for travertine

travertine

[ trăv′ər-tēn′, -tĭn ]

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.

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