Word Study
caliche
CIDE DICTIONARY
caliche, n.
- a deposit of sand or clay on the surface containing crystallized salts such as sodium chloride or sodium nitrate; -- used especially of the sodium nitrate deposits of Chile and Peru. [PJC]
- a stratum of calcium carbonate in the soil of an arid or semiarid region. [PJC]
OXFORD DICTIONARY
caliche, n.
1 a mineral deposit of gravel, sand, and nitrates, esp. Chile saltpetre, found in dry areas of America.
2 = CALCRETE.
1 a mineral deposit of gravel, sand, and nitrates, esp. Chile saltpetre, found in dry areas of America.
2 = CALCRETE.
Etymology
Amer. Sp.
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