tessellated, ppl. a.
(ˈtɛsəleɪtɪd)
[f. L. tessellāt-us or It. tessellato in same sense, with Eng. suffix. Used earlier than tessellate v., of which it subseq. became the pa. pple.]
1. Composed of small blocks of variously coloured material arranged to form a pattern; formed of or ornamented with mosaic work.
| 1712 Hearne Collect. (O.H.S.) III. 311 The tessellated Pavement at Stansfield. 1727–41 Chambers Cycl., Tessellated pavement, pavimentum Tessellatum, a rich pavement of mosaic work, made of curious small square marbles, bricks or tyles, called tesselæ, from the form of dies. 1877 C. Geikie Christ lxii. (1879) 758 The old golden seat of Archelaus, was set down in the tesselated floor of the tribunal. |
| fig. 1828 Macaulay Misc. Writ. (1860) I. 224 Laborious and tesselated imitations of Mason and Gray. 1864 Sat. Rev. 31 Dec. 789 The fall of a dovetailed and tesselated Cabinet. 1868 Gladstone Juv. Mundi xiv. §1 (1869) 490 The several squares of that tesselated nation, each with its local patriotism and limited traditions. |
2. Combined or arranged so as to form a mosaic.
| 1838–9 Hallam Hist. Lit. IV. iv. v. §51. 253 The mind is pleased to recognise the tesselated fragments of Ovid and Tibullus. 1853 C. L. Brace Home Life Germany 116 The floors are..of the most minutely tesselated marble. |
3. transf. Consisting of or arranged in small cubes or squares; in Bot. and Zool. having colours or surface-divisions in regularly arranged squares or patches; chequered, reticulated.
tessellated cells, cells arranged in layers. tessellated epithelium, pavement epithelium (pavement n. 4). tessellated pyrites, iron pyrites, crystallizing in cubes.
| 1695 Woodward Nat. Hist. Earth iv. (1723) 198 Crystallized Ores, and Minerals, e.g...the tessellated Pyritæ, or Ludus Paracelsi. 1777 Watson in Phil. Trans. LXVIII. 866 A very pure specimen of tessellated lead ore. 1828 Miss Mitford Village Ser. iii. 60 (Quiet Gentlew.) A bit of white mosaic, a tessellated quilt. 1829 Loudon Encycl. Pl. (1836) 113 Fruit..a fleshy tesselated berry. 1839 Darwin Voy. Nat. v. 97 The apar [armadillo]..having only three moveable bands; the rest of its tesselated covering being nearly inflexible. 1854 Pereira's Pol. Light 237 What Dr. Brewster has termed tesselated or composite crystals..consist of several crystals..united so as to form a compound crystal. 1875 Sir W. Turner in Encycl. Brit. I. 847/1 Tessellated..or squamous epithelium is situated on the free surface of the mucous lining of the mouth. |