tessera

noun

tes·​sera ˈte-sə-rə 

plural tesserae ˈte-sə-ˌrē 

-ˌrī

1

: a small tablet (as of wood, bone, or ivory) used by the ancient Romans as a ticket, tally, voucher, or means of identification

2

: a small piece (as of marble, glass, or tile) used in mosaic work

Examples of tessera in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

There is also a mosaic tessera that is integral to the narrative. — Marc Weingarten, Los Angeles Times, 8 Aug. 2026

The tickets were small disks made of clay, called tessera in Latin, which were stamped with seating details and distributed to Roman citizens through institutions, companies, and other organizations. — Melissa Locker, Travel + Leisure, 9 Nov. 2023

Some tessera were damaged and others were missing when it was rolled up and transported overseas, but those too were restored. — Joseph Serna, latimes.com, 27 May 2018

In the milling street Crivano feels invisible again, a tessera blended into a mosaic. — Scarlett Thomas, New York Times, 27 May 2016

Word History

Etymology

Latin, probably ultimately from Greek tessares four; from its having four corners — more at four

First Known Use

1538, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for tessera

• aspera
• barbera
• barrera
• caldera
• cascara
• chimaera
• chimera
• diptera
• drosera
• mascara
• patera
• provera