pumice

C2 Topic:Materials & Substances

US /ˈpʌm.ɪs/ UK /ˈpʌm.ɪs/ See IPA manual

Freq #42932

Meanings

1

noun
a very light, porous volcanic glass formed when gas-rich lava cools rapidly

A piece of pumice floated briefly before the water filled its pores.
2

verb
to rub or polish a surface with pumice

The conservator will pumice the repaired plaster only after it has dried.

Verb forms

Verb forms are not available for this word yet.

Thesaurus

Synonyms

1 noun · a very light, porous... pumice stonevolcanic glass

2 verb · to rub or polish a surface... abrade polish smooth

Word family

Forms pumiceous

Derived forms pumiceous

Related forms lava scoriavolcanic glass

Appears in

Phrases (1)

See all

pumice stone
a piece of light volcanic rock used as an abrasive

Noun + noun

Etymology

From Middle English pomis, through Anglo-French pomice, from Latin pumex 'pumice'. The Latin word is related to spuma 'foam', an apt comparison for the rock's frothy mass of gas cavities.

Topics

Materials & Substances

External links

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