stalagmite
a deposit, usually of calcium carbonate, more or less resembling an inverted stalactite, formed on the floor of a cave or the like by the dripping of percolating calcareous water.
Origin of stalagmite
1Other words from stalagmite
- stal·ag·mit·ic [stal-uhg-mit-ik], /ˌstæl əgˈmɪt ɪk/, stal·ag·mit·i·cal, adjective
- stal·ag·mit·i·cal·ly, adverb
Words that may be confused with stalagmite
- stalactite, stalagmite
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024
British Dictionary definitions for stalagmite
/ (ˈstæləɡˌmaɪt) /
a cylindrical mass of calcium carbonate projecting upwards from the floor of a limestone cave: formed by precipitation from continually dripping water: Compare stalactite
Origin of stalagmite
1Derived forms of stalagmite
- stalagmitic (ˌstæləɡˈmɪtɪk) or stalagmitical, adjective
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
Scientific definitions for stalagmite
[ stə-lăg′mīt′ ]
A cylindrical or conical mineral deposit, similar to a stalactite but built up from the floor of a cave or cavern. Stalagmites are typically broader than stalactites. The two formations are often, but not always, paired, and they sometimes join at a midpoint to form a pillar. Compare stalactite.
The American Heritage® Science Dictionary Copyright © 2011. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
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