noun
stalagmite
stuh-LAG-myte/stəˈlæɡmaɪt/
A mineral deposit that grows upward from a cave floor.
A stalagmite rises from the cave floor beneath dripping water.
Etymology
The Latin name draws on Greek stalagmos, “dripping,” or stalagma, “a drop.” It names the cave-floor formation for the dripping water that builds it, rather than for its upward-pointing shape.
In context
If the water dries up before it drips to the ground, it forms a stalactite… and if it drips onto the ground, a stalagmite grows up!
More examples
- Minerals left by falling drops slowly build the stalagmite.
- The cave trail winds between tall stalagmites.
- A stalagmite can eventually meet a stalactite hanging from above.
Forms
stalagmite · stalagmites