rock tripe

noun

: any of various dark leathery umbilicate foliose lichens (as of the genus Umbilicaria) that are widely distributed on rocks in boreal and alpine areas and are sometimes used as food

Examples of rock tripe in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Pausing for a water break before beginning his descent, Menke ran his hand over another boulder and broke off a piece of crusty rock tripe, or lichen. Ben McGrath, The New Yorker, 28 Nov. 2022

Word History

First Known Use

1854, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of rock tripe was in 1854

Dictionary Entries Near rock tripe

Cite this Entry

“Rock tripe.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/rock%20tripe. Accessed 18 Dec. 2024.

More from Merriam-Webster on rock tripe

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!