Tufa definition

to͝ofə, tyo͝o-
Any of various sedimentary rocks, as travertine, made up of deposits of calcium carbonate formed by evaporation or precipitation in or near a cave, spring, lake, etc.
noun
0
0
A soft, friable, and porous sedimentary rock consisting of calcium carbonate and formed by the evaporation of water, especially at the mouth of a hot spring or on a drying lakebed. It is similar to, but harder than, travertine.
0
0
The calcareous deposit of lime found near hot springs.
noun
0
0
The volcanic rock tuff.
noun
0
0
A soft, friable, and porous sedimentary rock consisting of calcium carbonate and formed by the evaporation of water, especially at the mouth of a hot spring or on a drying lakebed. It can also be precipitated by algae or bacteria.
noun
0
1
Advertisement

Other Word Forms

Noun

Singular:
tufa
Plural:
tufas

Origin of tufa

  • Obsolete Italian tufa, tufo from Latin tōfus

    From American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition

  • From Italian tufo, from Latin tōphus or tōfus.

    From Wiktionary

Tufa Sentence Examples

  • Ten shafts lined with slabs of tufa which were there found may have been the approaches to tombs or may have served as wells.

  • Calcareous tufa or travertine occurs in the valley of Matlock and elsewhere, and in some places is still being deposited by springs.

  • Catacomb of benches cut out of the tufa rock.

  • The igneous formation of which the greater part of the Roman Campagna is, in its superior portion, composed, contains three strata known under the common name of tufa, - the " stony," " granular," and " sandy " tufa, - the last being commonly known as pozzolana.

  • The stony tufa (tufa litoide) is quarried as building-stone.

More sentences

Related articles

Also Mentioned In

Words near tufa in the Dictionary