tripoli
n. uncountablen. a soft, crumbly rock made of tiny fossils that people use to polish metal or wood.
n. a friable, lightweight, and porous siliceous sedimentary rock composed of weathered chert or the remains of diatoms.
The jeweler used tripoli to polish the silver ring.
After sanding the wood, the craftsman applied a fine tripoli powder to achieve a high-gloss finish on the cabinet.
Geological surveys indicate that the deposit consists primarily of tripoli, which is highly valued in industrial applications for its abrasive properties and chemical stability.
Borrowed from Italian Tripoli, from Latin Tripolis, from Ancient Greek Τρίπολις (Trípolis), from τρι- (tri-, “three”) + πολις (polis, “city, city-state”). In reference to American cities, after US actions off Tripoli in Libya during the First Barbary War. Doublet of Tripolis, Tirebolu, and Tripura.
From modern Greek Τρίπολη (Trípoli) used from the 19th century in place of Byzantine Greek Τριπολιτσά (Tripolitsá), probably from Slavic Droboliza.