Pumice
/ˈpʌm.ɪs/noun
A light, porous volcanic rock formed when gas-rich lava cools rapidly.
Did you know?The word comes through Old French from Latin *pumex*, and ancient writers used pumice to describe a stone so full of holes it could float on water before sinking.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*peu-
“to swell, foam, or bubble”
Latin
Latin
pumex
“pumice stone; a porous volcanic rock”
Old French
OF
pومice
“pumice stone”
Middle English
ME
pumice
“pumice stone”
Modern English
English
pumice
“a light, porous volcanic rock”