cipolin

noun

cipo·​lin

ˈsipələ̇n,

¦sēpə¦laⁿ

variants or cipollino

ˌchēpəˈlē(ˌ)nō

plural -s

: a light-colored Roman marble containing layers of micaceous minerals and abundant silicates

Word History

Etymology

borrowed from French & Italian; French cipolin, cipollin, borrowed from Italian (marmo) cipollino, from cipollino, masculine variant of cipollina, diminutive of cipolla "onion"; so called because the marble's wavy veins suggest the layers of an onion

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