noun
calculus
A hard mineral deposit formed in the body.
The dentist removes hardened calculus from the patient's teeth.
Etymology
Latin calculus meant a small stone or pebble. The medical use retains that concrete image, naming a hard, stone-like deposit that forms from minerals within the body.
More examples
- The scan revealed a small renal calculus.
- Several mineral calculi had formed in the urinary tract.
- Dental calculus builds up when plaque hardens.
Forms
calculus · calculi
Similar words
- plaque
- A soft film on teeth that can harden into calculus.