Laterite

Quick meaning: Laterite is a noun meaning A red hard or gravel-like soil or subsoil formed in the tropics that has been leached of soluble minerals leaving insoluble iron and aluminium oxides and hydroxides; used to make bricks and roads.

Meaning

A red hard or gravel-like soil or subsoil formed in the tropics that has been leached of soluble minerals leaving insoluble iron and aluminium oxides and hydroxides; used to make bricks and roads.

Example Sentences

Constant tropical rain makes a mush of hard old lavas. The end product is a brick red soil called laterite.

Although the track is ballasted, it does not prevent clouds of reddish dust from the laterite soil blowing about when the train is in motion; after a journey with the windows open a bath is a necessity!

Word Forms

• laterites

Synonyms for laterite

Depending on context, synonyms include murram.

Related Words

Related dictionary entries include pisolitic, latosol, bole, plinthosol, leptosol, oxisol.

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