Standard Lemma guide

regolith

noun · 1 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

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  • UK: /ˈɹɛɡəlɪθ/
  • US: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.

1

noun

Meaning 1

The layer of loose rock, dust, sand, and soil, resting on the bedrock, that constitutes the surface layer of most dry land on Earth, the Moon, and other large solid aggregated celestial objects. Submarine regolith also exists.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: countable, uncountable

Topics: geography, geology, natural-sciences

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

History

Etymology

Irregular formation from Ancient Greek ῥῆγος (rhêgos, “rug, blanket”) + -lith (from λίθος (líthos, “stone”)).

Across languages

Translations

12 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Chinese Mandarin: 表土 (biǎotǔ) — layer of loose rock that constitutes the surface of most land
  • Finnish: regoliitti — layer of loose rock that constitutes the surface of most land
  • French: régolithe — layer of loose rock that constitutes the surface of most land
  • German: Regolith — layer of loose rock that constitutes the surface of most land
  • Ido: regolito — layer of loose rock that constitutes the surface of most land
  • Italian: regolite — layer of loose rock that constitutes the surface of most land
  • Japanese: レゴリス (regorisu) — layer of loose rock that constitutes the surface of most land
  • Japanese: 表土 (hyōdo) — layer of loose rock that constitutes the surface of most land
  • Polish: regolit — layer of loose rock that constitutes the surface of most land
  • Portuguese: regolito — layer of loose rock that constitutes the surface of most land
  • Russian: реголи́т (regolít) — layer of loose rock that constitutes the surface of most land
  • Spanish: regolito — layer of loose rock that constitutes the surface of most land