flowstone

noun

flow·​stone ˈflō-ˌstōn How to pronounce flowstone (audio)
: calcite deposited by a thin sheet of flowing water usually along the walls or floor of a cave

Example Sentences

Recent Examples on the Web However, rocks from different ages have fallen into the cave, along with water and flowstone deposits that mix younger sediment with older sediment. Monica Cull, Discover Magazine, 27 June 2022 In a cave, mineral-rich water drips over the walls, eventually depositing stalactites, stalagmites, and the sheet-like formations called flowstone. Sophie Bushwick, Discover Magazine, 21 June 2012 The researchers, including experts from Johannesburg and France, examined radioactive decay in rocks buried at the same time as the fossils, whereas earlier estimates were based on calcite flowstone deposits. Ellen Francis, Washington Post, 29 June 2022 And younger flowstone can sometimes be found mixed in with old sediment. Ashley Strickland, CNN, 28 June 2022 From there a walking path goes through six geological strata, crosses a bridge over a chasm built by Russian prisoners during World War I and continues past underground clifftops and gorges, spaghetti-thin stalactites and flowstone curtains. John Malathronas, CNN, 3 Dec. 2021 The walls of the cavern, wreathed in flowstone, glittered in brown and gray. Alexis Soloski, New York Times, 27 Nov. 2019 And uranium-thorium dating said the flowstone couldn’t be any younger than 114,000 years. Kiona N. Smith, Ars Technica, 22 Feb. 2018 Forty to 70 feet below ground, stalactites and stalagmites meet to form columns, delicate soda straws dangle from the ceiling and flowstones cover the walls. Chelsey Lewis, USA TODAY, 16 Mar. 2018 See More

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'flowstone.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Word History

First Known Use

1925, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of flowstone was in 1925

Dictionary Entries Near flowstone

Cite this Entry

“Flowstone.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/flowstone. Accessed 22 Mar. 2023.

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