talpatate

noun

tal·​pa·​ta·​te

variants or talpetate

ˌtälpəˈtätē

plural -s

1

: a rock of superficial origin formed by the cementing action of calcium carbonate on sand, soil, or volcanic ash and equivalent in part to caliche or calcrete

2

: rather poor thin soil consisting of partly decomposed volcanic ash more or less consolidated

Word History

Etymology

American Spanish tepetate, talpetate, from Nahuatl tepetatl, from tetl stone + petatl mat

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