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