meerschaum
/ˈmɪər.ʃɔːm/ noun
Forms meerschaums
- noun (uncountable) A soft white mineral, chiefly used for smoking-pipes and cigar holders.
- noun (countable) A smoking-pipe made from meerschaum.
Synonyms
Etymology
Borrowed from German Meerschaum (literally “sea foam”).
Webster’s 1913
- noun A fine white claylike mineral, soft, and light enough when in dry masses to float in water. It is a hydrous silicate of magnesia, and is obtained chiefly in Asia Minor. It is manufacturd into tobacco pipes, cigar holders, etc. Also called sepiolite.
- noun A tobacco pipe made of this mineral.
Etymology [G., lit., sea foam; meer sea + schaum foam; but it perh. is a corruption of the Tartaric name myrsen. Cf. Mere a lake, and Scum.]
Sources: Wiktionary · Webster’s 1913 — from the Wiktionary entry “meerschaum”, CC BY-SA 4.0. Details