Pumiceous
/pjuːˈmɪs.i.əs/noun
Containing or resembling pumice; light, porous, and frothy in texture.
Did you know?Pumiceous comes from the same Latin source as pumice, the rock formed when gas-rich lava cools so fast it traps bubbles inside—like stone with a ghost of fire still in it.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*peu̯-
“to cleanse, wipe, or scrape”
Latin
Latin
pumex, pumicis
“pumice stone”
Late Latin
Latin
pumiceus
“of pumice; pumice-like”
Middle English
English
pumice
“the light, porous volcanic rock”
Modern English
English
pumiceous
“having the nature or texture of pumice”
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