calthemite

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noun

Any secondary calcareous deposit, created by the action of water outside the natural cave environment. They are typically found on man made structures and mimic the shapes and forms of cave speleothems, such as stalactites, stalagmites, flowstone etc.

OriginLatin calx ← Ancient Greek θέμα →
Scrabble 17
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Meanings

nouncalthemite (plural calthemites)

plural calthemites

  1. geographyAny secondary calcareous deposit, created by the action of water outside the natural cave environment. They are typically found on man made structures and mimic the shapes and forms of cave speleothems, such as stalactites, stalagmites, flowstone etc.

Origin

  1. Ancient Greek-ίτης
  2. Latin-īta
  3. Ancient Greekθέμα“what is laid down”
  4. Latincalx“lime”
  5. Englishcalthemite

From Latin calx (“lime”) + Latin < Ancient Greek θέμα (théma, “what is laid down”), (also Mediaeval Latin thema, "deposit") and the Latin -īta < Ancient Greek -ίτης (-ítēs) – used as a suffix indicating a rock or mineral.

More words from Latin, Ancient Greek

Full word history & related roots →
Cite this entry
APA

calthemite. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 2, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/calthemite

MLA

“calthemite.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/calthemite. Accessed November 2, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “calthemite,” accessed November 2, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/calthemite.

Source: calthemite on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.