Main Entry: ca·li·che

Pronunciation: \kə-ˈlē-chē\

Function: noun

Etymology: American Spanish, from Spanish, flake of lime, from cal lime, from Latin calx — more at chalk

Date: circa 1858

1 : the nitrate-bearing gravel or rock of the sodium nitrate deposits of Chile and Peru
2 : a crust of calcium carbonate that forms on the stony soil of arid regions