Terra

1 definition found

From The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48 [gcide]:

  Terra \Ter"ra\, n. [It. & L. See {Terrace}.]
     The earth; earth.
     [1913 Webster]
  
     {Terra alba} [L., white earth] (Com.), a white amorphous
        earthy substance consisting of burnt gypsum, aluminium


        silicate (kaolin), or some similar ingredient, as
        magnesia. It is sometimes used to adulterate certain
        foods, spices, candies, paints, etc.
  
     {Terra cotta}. [It., fr. terra earth + cotta, fem. of cotto
        cooked, L. coctus, p. p. of coquere to cook. See {Cook},
        n.] Baked clay; a kind of hard pottery used for statues,
        architectural decorations, figures, vases, and the like.
        
  
     {Terrae filius} [L., son of the earth], formerly, one
        appointed to write a satirical Latin poem at the public
        acts in the University of Oxford; -- not unlike the
        prevaricator at Cambridge, England.
  
     {Terra firma} [L.], firm or solid earth, as opposed to
        {water}.
  
     {Terra Japonica}. [NL.] Same as {Gambier}. It was formerly
        supposed to be a kind of earth from Japan.
  
     {Terra Lemnia} [L., Lemnian earth], Lemnian earth. See under
        {Lemnian}.
  
     {Terra ponderosa} [L., ponderous earth] (Min.), barite, or
        heavy spar.
  
     {Terra di Sienna}. See {Sienna}.
        [1913 Webster]