Stalactite
/ˈstæl.ək.taɪt/noun
A mineral deposit that hangs from the roof of a cave or other structure.
Did you know?Stalactite was coined in scholarly Latin from Greek stalaktos, “dripping,” and it shares its root with words tied to dripping, flowing, and the idea of something that falls drop by drop.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*steig-
“to drip, trickle”
Ancient Greek
Greek
σταλακτός (stalaktós)
“dripping, trickling”
Late Latin
Latin
stalactīta
“a dripping stone formation”
17th Century
English
stalactite
“a cave deposit hanging from the roof”
Modern English
English
stalactite
“a mineral formation that hangs downward from a cave ceiling”