meerschaum
(ˈmɪəʃɔːm, -ʃəm)
Forms: 8 ? myrsen, 8–9 meershaum, 9 meerchum, mereschaum, merschaum, 8– meerschaum.
[a. G. meerschaum, lit. ‘sea-foam’, f. meer sea + schaum foam (a literal transl. of the Persian name kef-i-daryā), alluding to its frothy appearance.]
1. A popular synonym of sepiolite, a hydrous silicate of magnesium occurring in soft white clay-like masses.
| 1784 [see keffekill]. 1794 Kirwan Elem. Min. (ed. 2) I. 145 Keffekill or myrsen, which the Germans corruptly call Meerschaum, is said to be when recently dug of a yellow colour. 1812 J. Nott Dekker's Gull's Horn-bk. 176 note, Those tobacco-pipes which they manufacture of a species of earth, of the magnesious genus combined with silex, denominated meerschaum. 1891 Daily News 26 Oct. 5/6 He bought wholesale little blocks of flawed meerschaum, polished them, and made them up into pipes. |
| attrib. 1823 De Quincey Mr. Schnackenberger vi, The great meerschaum head of his pipe. |
2. (In full
meerschaum pipe.) A tobacco-pipe, the bowl of which is made of meerschaum.
| 1799 Coleridge Let. 14 Jan., A pipe of a particular kind, that has been smoked for a year or so, will sell here [at Ratzeburg] for twenty guineas... They are called Meerschaum. 1812 J. Nott Dekker's Gull's Horn-bk. 176 note, A meerschaum pipe nearly black with smoking is considered a treasure. 1818 Blackw. Mag. III. 404 Bobwigs and meerschaums, petticoats and sabres. 1858 O. W. Holmes Aut. Breakf.-t. xi, One Stradivarius, I confess, Two Meerschaums, I would fain possess. 1884 Graphic Christmas No. 5/3 He produced an enormous meerschaum. 1887 G. R. Sims Mary Jane's Mem. 145 He sent me back the meerschaum-pipe. |