Tuff
/tʌf/noun
A soft, porous rock formed from consolidated volcanic ash.
Did you know?The word comes from Italian and ultimately Latin terms for volcanic ash deposits, so “tuff” is a geological record of explosive eruptions, not just a random rock name.
Etymological Timeline
Ancient Latin
Latin
tofus
“A porous stone or travertine-like rock”
Late Latin / Italian
Italian
tufo
“Volcanic ash rock; tuff”
16th Century
English
tuffe
“A soft, porous stone used in building”
18th Century
English
tuff
“Standard modern spelling of the rock name”
Modern English
English
tuff
“A soft, porous volcanic rock”