stalactite
stalactite — noun
- stalactitesingular
- stalactitesplural
1. a long, thin piece of mineral that forms pointing downward from the ceiling of a
a long, thin piece of mineral that forms pointing downward from the ceiling of a cave over hundreds or thousands of years, created when water drips through rock and slowly leaves solid material behind
Felix pointed his flashlight up at the long stalactite hanging from the cave ceiling.
Some stalactites in the national park are over twenty metres from top to tip.
superlative: 'some stalactites...are over X metres' for size comparison
A broken stalactite lay on the cave floor where it had snapped off the roof.
Each stalactite grows at a rate of only a few centimetres every thousand years.
Andrei touched the wet tip of the stalactite and cold water dripped onto his hand.
- dripstone
a broader technical term used by geologists for any mineral deposit left by dripping water, covering both stalactites and stalagmites
- soda straw
a very thin, hollow type of stalactite that looks like a drinking straw
- stalagmite
the matching formation that builds upward from the cave floor, often positioned directly below a stalactite
用法筆記
Learners often confuse stalactite with stalagmite. A useful memory trick: stalactite contains a 'c' for 'ceiling' — it hangs down — while stalagmite has a 'g' for 'ground' — it builds upward from the floor.
常見錯誤
2. an object made to hang down with a pointed lower end, designed to look like the
an object made to hang down with a pointed lower end, designed to look like the natural rock formations found in caves, often used as a decoration or in interior design
Sayaka hung glass stalactite ornaments from the ceiling of her bedroom.
decorative use: glass stalactites as room ornaments
The entrance to the museum had a row of artificial stalactites made from painted resin.
A large stalactite-shaped lamp hung above the dining table in the hotel lobby.
Tomás chose crystal stalactite decorations for the winter festival dinner party.
3. a hanging pointed structure formed by ice, salt, rust, or other minerals in plac
a hanging pointed structure formed by ice, salt, rust, or other minerals in places that are not natural caves, such as under bridges, in tunnels, or on the edges of buildings
Long ice stalactites hung from the edges of the factory roof after the freezing night.
ice context: stalactites formed by freezing water on buildings
Noor noticed white salt stalactites growing under the concrete bridge where water had been leaking.
Small stalactites made of rust hung inside the old iron water pipe.
Inside the empty tunnel, orange mineral stalactites glowed in the beam of Ilan's torch.