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sta·lac·tite

(stə-lăktīt′, stălək-)

An icicle-shaped mineral deposit, usually calcite or aragonite, hanging from the roof of a cavern, formed from the dripping of mineral-rich water.

[New Latin stalactītēs, from Greek stalaktos, dripping, from stalassein, stalak-, to drip.]

sta·lacti·form′ adj.

stal′ac·titic (stăl′ăk-tĭtĭk, stə-lăk′-) adj.

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stalactite

Carlsbad Caverns National Park

Carlsbad, New Mexico

Indo-European & Semitic Roots Appendices

Thousands of entries in the dictionary include etymologies that trace their origins back to reconstructed proto-languages. You can obtain more information about these forms in our online appendices:

Indo-European Roots

Semitic Roots

The Indo-European appendix covers nearly half of the Indo-European roots that have left their mark on English words. A more complete treatment of Indo-European roots and the English words derived from them is available in our Dictionary of Indo-European Roots.

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