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cipolin

noun
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cipo·​lin | \ ˈsipələ̇n, ¦sēpə¦laⁿ \
variants: or cipollino \ ˌchēpəˈlē(ˌ)nō \
plural -s

Definition of cipolin

: a light-colored Roman marble containing layers of micaceous minerals and abundant silicates

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History and Etymology for cipolin

borrowed from French & Italian; French cipolin, cipollin, borrowed from Italian (marmo) cipollino, from cipollino, masculine variant of cipollina, diminutive of cipolla “onion”; so called because the marble's wavy veins suggest the layers of an onion

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Cite this Entry

“Cipolin.” The Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster Inc., https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/cipolin. Accessed 27 January 2020.

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