Caliche

2 definitions found

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

  caliche \ca*li"che\ (k[.a]*l[=e]"ch[-e]), n.
     1. a deposit of sand or clay on the surface containing
        crystallized salts such as sodium chloride or sodium
        nitrate; -- used especially of the sodium nitrate deposits
        of Chile and Peru. --RHUD
        [PJC]


  
     2. a stratum of calcium carbonate in the soil of an arid or
        semiarid region.
        [PJC]

From WordNet (r) 2.0 [wn]:

  caliche
       n 1: crust or layer of hard subsoil encrusted with
            calcium-carbonate occurring in arid or semiarid regions
            [syn: {hardpan}]
       2: nitrate-bearing rock or gravel of the sodium nitrate
          deposits of Chile and Peru