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travertine

[ trav-er-teen, -tin ]
/ ˈtræv ərˌtin, -tɪn /

noun

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

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

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

Words nearby travertine

Travers, traverse, Traverse City, traverse jury, traverse rod, travertine, travesty, Travis, travois, travolator, trawl
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2021

Example sentences from the Web for travertine

British Dictionary definitions for travertine

travertine

travertin

/ (ˈtrævətɪn) /

noun

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

Word Origin for 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.
The American Heritage® Science Dictionary Copyright © 2011. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.