regolith

noun

reg·​o·​lith ˈre-gə-ˌlith 

: 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

Team members then used the rounded barrel structures on Bruno to scoop the crushed rock known as regolith, and continue working through the run. —Richard Tribou, The Orlando Sentinel, 20 May 2026

Last year, in partnership with industrial equipment manufacturer Vermeer Corporation, Interlune revealed a prototype extractor designed to process 100 metric tons of lunar regolith every hour. —Robin George Andrews, Scientific American, 14 May 2026

The Apollo 17 astronauts were largely tasked with collecting lunar regolith samples, but the crew also apparently witnessed a number of strange sightings above the lunar surface. —Eric Lagatta, USA Today, 8 May 2026

However, when the Apollo missions brought back samples from the moon between 1969 and 1972, scientists found that the lunar regolith was bone dry. —Keith Cooper, Space.com, 14 Apr. 2026

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