noun
Tripoli
TRIH-puh-lee
noun
1
A soft, powdery rock made from the fossilized shells of tiny algae, used as a fine abrasive for polishing metal and stone.
"The jeweler used tripoli powder to bring a mirror shine to the silver ring."
"Tripoli compound is worked into a buffing wheel before it ever touches the metal."
How to Use Tripoli
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishA gritty rock powder used for polishing, unrelated in modern use to any city.
Word Forms
tripolis plural
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Etymology
Named after the city of Tripoli, one of the historical sources from which the polishing rock was traded.