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calamite

 - 2 dictionary results

cal⋅a⋅mite

  [kal-uh-mahyt]
Use calamite in a Sentence
–noun
any fossil plant of the genus Calamites and related genera of the Carboniferous Period, resembling oversized horsetails and constituting much of the coal used as fuel.
Origin:
1745–55; < NL Calamites the genus name, L calamītēs < Gk kalamtēs reedlike. See calamus, -ite 1

Related forms:
cal⋅a⋅mi⋅te⋅an  [kal-uh-mahy-tee-uhn] , adjective
ca⋅lam⋅i⋅toid  [kuh-lam-i-toid] , adjective
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2009.
Cite This Source Link To calamite
cal·a·mite   (kāl'ə-mīt')   
n.  Any of various extinct, chiefly carboniferous trees of the genus Calamites, related to the modern-day herbaceous horsetails (Equisetum).

[New Latin Calamītēs, genus name, from Late Greek kalamītēs, reedlike, from Greek kalamos, reed.]
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
Copyright © 2009 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
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