regolith

noun

reg·​o·​lith ˈre-gə-ˌlith How to pronounce regolith (audio)
: unconsolidated residual or transported material that overlies the solid rock on the earth, moon, or a planet

Examples of regolith in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web The loose and meteorite-battered regolith that forms the Moon’s outer layer tends to muffle seismic waves from underneath. IEEE Spectrum, 14 Mar. 2024 That would entail flying a harvester to the moon, which would scoop up the regolith, then its processor would separate out the Helium-3. Christian Davenport, Washington Post, 13 Mar. 2024 Plants that can tolerate Mars’ surface regolith and perform photosynthesis at much higher efficiency than here on Earth will then be released, along with bacterial symbiotes (organisms living in symbiosis), across the planet. Bruce Dorminey, Forbes, 18 Feb. 2024 Simulated regolith in hand, the trio mixed the frass with the simulated Martian soil in different proportions, to see how the peas liked it. Sarah Scoles, New York Times, 27 Nov. 2023 Are any of them still viable, buried under the moon’s regolith, the dust that varies in depth from a few metres to several dozen metres? Laurent Palka, Discover Magazine, 1 Mar. 2024 Moreover, the loose regolith is prone to landslides, especially along sloped surfaces. Shi En Kim, Smithsonian Magazine, 6 Feb. 2024 Indeed, the spacecraft toppled over after touching down, with its nose planted into the lunar regolith and its rear propulsion section pointed toward space. Stephen Clark, Ars Technica, 25 Jan. 2024 In a pilot experiment, those combinations ranged from zero frass and all regolith to all frass and no regolith, covering percentages in between. Sarah Scoles, New York Times, 27 Nov. 2023

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'regolith.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Greek rhēgos blanket + English -lith; akin to Greek rhezein to dye — more at raga

First Known Use

1897, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of regolith was in 1897

Dictionary Entries Near regolith

Cite this Entry

“Regolith.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/regolith. Accessed 24 Apr. 2024.

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