laterite

See also: latérite

English

Traditional laterite temple in Kerala, India

Etymology

From Latin later (“brick”) +‎ -ite.

Pronunciation

• (UK) IPA^(key): /ˈlatəɹʌɪt/

Noun

laterite (countable and uncountable, plural laterites)

1. A red hard or gravel-like soil or subsoil formed in the tropics that has been leached of soluble minerals leaving insoluble iron and aluminium oxides and hydroxides; used to make bricks and roads.
   • 1948 September and October, W. S. Darby, “The Gold Coast Railway—1”, in Railway Magazine, page 287:

     Although the track is ballasted, it does not prevent clouds of reddish dust from the laterite soil blowing about when the train is in motion; after a journey with the windows open a bath is a necessity!

   • 2004, Richard Fortey, The Earth, Folio Society, published 2011, page 38:

     Constant tropical rain makes a mush of hard old lavas. The end product is a brick red soil called laterite.

Synonyms

• murram

Derived terms

• laterization
• lateritic

Translations

red hard or gravel-like soil or subsoil

• Finnish: lateriitti (fi)
• French: latérite (fr) f
• Greek: λατερίτης (el) m (laterítis)
• Polish: lateryt m
• Spanish: laterita f
• Vietnamese: đá ong

Anagrams

• literate, teretial

Italian

Noun

laterite f (plural lateriti)

1. laterite

Anagrams

• latterei, latterie, lattiere, lettiera, rieletta, tiratele