argill-, argillo- +

(Greek > Latin: clay)


argillaceous
1. Of the nature of clay; largely composed of clay.
2. Consisting of sediment or sedimentary rock.
3. Largely composed of, or containing, clay mineral or clay-size particles.
argillaceous rock
1. A sedimentary rock formed from clay deposits.
2. Rock formed from consolidated clay sediments.
argillation
A process by which the weathering of aluminum silicates forms clay minerals.
argillic
Relating to, containing, composed of, or characteristic of clay.
argillic alteration
A process of rock alteration whereby certain minerals in a rock are changed into clay minerals.
argillic horizon
A soil horizon in which silicate clays have percolated down from an overlying layer and accumulated.
argillicole, argillicolous
1. Thriving or growing in clay or mud.
2. Living on, or in, clay.
argilliferous
Referring to a structure that produces or contains clay.
argilliophagist
Someone who eats white clay.
argillite
An argillaceous sedimentary rock (containing clay), with or without slaty cleavages; mudrock.
argillo-areenaceous, argilloareenaceous
Consisting of, or containing, clay and sand, as a soil.
argillo-calcareous, argillocalcareous
Consisting of, or containing, clay and calcareous (calcium carbonate) earth.
argillo-ferruginous, argilloferruginous
Containing clay and iron.
argillophagy
The eating of white clay.

Argillophagy

Clay, well-known as a skin treatment, may also be helpful when a person has had too much to drink. Ancient Greeks and Romans used it as a detoxifying substance, and many French drinkers swear by a glass of the creamy, grey argile verte the morning after.

Should anyone have long-term alcohol intake which produces more serious gastric problems, clay's anti-inflammatory and wound-healing properties are also said to help stomach ulcers.

—Based on information from
"Myth or Medicine?" as seen in "élan",
a section in The European; December, 1993; page 7.

argillophilous, argillophile, argillophily
Organisms that thrive, or live, in clay or mud.

Cross references of word families related directly, or indirectly, to: "land, ground, fields, soil, dirt, mud, clay, earth (world)": agra-; agrest-; agri-; agro-; choro-; chthon-; epeiro-; geo-; glob-; lut-; myso-; pedo-; pel-; rhyp-; soil-; sord-; terr-.


If there are any numbers below, use them to see other pages in this unit.

1 2 Next

Showing page 1 out of 2 pages of 16 words or word groups.

Back to Index | Search Box | Main Index

The Main-Word Info page

The + sign at the end of a unit title means all of the words in that unit have definitions.

Directory of special content and topics

Do you want to help to make this dictionary bigger and better?

Subscribe to this FREE Focusing on Words Newsletter

E-mail Contact words@wordinfo.info




Google
 
Web Search Word Info Search