Illustration of stalactite
- stalactite and stalagmite
stalactite
noun
sta·lac·tite
stə-ˈlak-ˌtīt 
also ˈsta-lək-
: a deposit of calcium carbonate (such as calcite) resembling an icicle hanging from the roof or sides of a cave
Examples of stalactite in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
The main city is not only massive, but has some unique design details like upside down buildings hanging like stalactites.
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Rafael Motamayor, IndieWire, 21 June 2024
Across the cave system, stalactites broken off by vibrations from train construction litter the ground like rubble following an earthquake.
—Teresa De Miguel, Megan Janetsky, and Rodrigo Abd, The Christian Science Monitor, 31 May 2024
The 21-square-mile British territory is known for its gorgeous pink-sand beaches, impressive golf courses overlooking the sea, underground caves with amazing stalactites and stalagmites, and more.
—Alison Fox, Travel + Leisure, 19 May 2024
The principle is very similar to radiocarbon dating--the amount of daughter elements in a stalactite, for example, indicates how long that stalactite has been around--with the advantage that uranium-series dates can stretch back half a million years.
—James Shreeve, Discover Magazine, 11 Nov. 2019
See all Example Sentences for stalactite 
Rafael Motamayor, IndieWire, 21 June 2024
Across the cave system, stalactites broken off by vibrations from train construction litter the ground like rubble following an earthquake.
—Teresa De Miguel, Megan Janetsky, and Rodrigo Abd, The Christian Science Monitor, 31 May 2024
The 21-square-mile British territory is known for its gorgeous pink-sand beaches, impressive golf courses overlooking the sea, underground caves with amazing stalactites and stalagmites, and more.
—Alison Fox, Travel + Leisure, 19 May 2024
The principle is very similar to radiocarbon dating--the amount of daughter elements in a stalactite, for example, indicates how long that stalactite has been around--with the advantage that uranium-series dates can stretch back half a million years.
—James Shreeve, Discover Magazine, 11 Nov. 2019
See all Example Sentences for stalactite
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'stalactite.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
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Cite this Entry
“Stalactite.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/stalactite. Accessed 4 Jul. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
stalactite
noun
sta·lac·tite
stə-ˈlak-ˌtīt
: a deposit of calcium carbonate resembling an icicle hanging from the roof or sides of a cavern
Etymology
from scientific Latin stalactites "stalactite," from Greek stalaktos (adjective) "dripping"
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