[kee-zuh
l-goor] 
| diatomaceous earth. |
| a fine siliceous earth composed chiefly of the cell walls of diatoms: used in filtration, as an abrasive, etc. |
| di·at·o·mite (dī-āt'ə-mīt') n. A fine, powdered diatomaceous earth used in industry as a filler, a filtering agent, an absorbent, a clarifier, and an insulator. Also called kieselguhr. |
| kie·sel·guhr (kē'zəl-gŏŏr') n. See diatomite. [German Kieselgur : Kiesel, pebble (from Middle High German kisel, from Old High German chisil) + Gur, Guhr, ferment, earthy deposit from water (from gären, to ferment, blend of Middle High German jësan, from Old High German, and Middle High German *jern, to cause to ferment, from Old High German jerian; see yes- in Indo-European roots).] |
diatomaceous earth di·a·to·ma·ceous earth (dī'ə-tə-mā'shəs, dī-āt'ə-)
n.
A powder made of the desiccated shells of diatoms, used as a filtering agent, adsorbent, and abrasive in many chemical operations.