meerschaum
Americannoun
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a mineral, hydrous magnesium silicate, H 4 Mg 2 Si 3 O 1 0 , occurring in white, claylike masses, used for ornamental carvings, for pipe bowls, etc.; sepiolite.
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a tobacco pipe with a bowl made of this substance.
noun
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Also called: sepiolite. a white, yellowish, or pink compact earthy mineral consisting of hydrated magnesium silicate: used to make tobacco pipes and as a building stone. Formula: Mg 2 Si 3 O 6 (OH) 4
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a tobacco pipe having a bowl made of this mineral
Etymology
Origin of meerschaum
1775–85; < German Meerschaum, equivalent to Meer sea ( mere 2 ) + Schaum foam
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
If, on the flip side, you have been consuming exclusively comics, exciting news: You are now twice as prestigious as you thought and can go buy a meerschaum smoking pipe.
From Washington Post • Jul. 29, 2022
The Wellcome collection has dug out a cigar holder carved in 1864 from meerschaum clay, which was commonly used for making pipes.
From The Guardian • May 21, 2013
If the parties seem particularly antagonistic, Usery will stoke up his meerschaum pipe and keep everyone together for a session of stories and jokes.
From Time Magazine Archive
A distinguished institution with the moldy patina of an old meerschaum pipe is the American Academy of Arts & Letters.
From Time Magazine Archive
The bowl of his pipe was made of meerschaum clay, and it had a flexible stem about three feet long so that the bowl rested on his lap.
From "Boy: Tales of a Childhood" by Roald Dahl
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
