caliche

ca·li·che

 (kə-lē′chē)

n.

1.

a. A mineral deposit rich in sodium nitrate occurring naturally in Chile, Peru, and the southwest United States, and used as fertilizer, in explosives, and as a raw material for manufacturing nitric acid.

b. See sodium nitrate.

2.

a. The accretions of calcium carbonate in soil.

b. See hardpan.

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[American Spanish, from Spanish, pebble in a brick, flake of lime, from cal, lime, from Latin calx, calc-, lime; see calx.]

American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright © 2016 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

caliche

(kæˈliːtʃɪ)

n

1. (Geological Science) Also called: calcrete a bed of sand or clay in arid regions cemented by calcium carbonate, sodium chloride, and other soluble minerals

2. (Geological Science) a surface layer of soil encrusted with calcium carbonate, occurring in arid regions. Also called: duricrust

[C20: from American Spanish, from Latin calx lime]

Collins English Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged, 12th Edition 2014 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1994, 1998, 2000, 2003, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2014

ca•li•che

(kəˈli tʃi)

n.

1. a surface deposit of sodium nitrate found in South American desert areas: formerly a major source of chemical fertilizer.

2. a zone of calcium carbonate or other carbonates in soils of semiarid regions.

Compare hardpan.

[1855–60; < Sp: flake of lime]

Random House Kernerman Webster's College Dictionary, © 2010 K Dictionaries Ltd. Copyright 2005, 1997, 1991 by Random House, Inc. All rights reserved.

Thesaurus

Noun	1.	caliche - crust or layer of hard subsoil encrusted with calcium-carbonate occurring in arid or semiarid regions hardpan dirt, soil - the part of the earth's surface consisting of humus and disintegrated rock
	2.	caliche - nitrate-bearing rock or gravel of the sodium nitrate deposits of Chile and Peru rock, stone - material consisting of the aggregate of minerals like those making up the Earth's crust; "that mountain is solid rock"; "stone is abundant in New England and there are many quarries"

Based on WordNet 3.0, Farlex clipart collection. © 2003-2012 Princeton University, Farlex Inc.