pumice

UK: /ˈpʌmɪs/ US: /ˈpʌmɪs/ ,(pum′is)

Inflections of 'pumice' (v): (⇒ conjugate)

pumices

v 3rd person singular

pumicing

v pres p

pumiced

v past

pumiced

v past p

WordReference Random House Learner's Dictionary of American English © 2025

pum•ice /ˈpʌmɪs/   n. 

[uncountable]
1. Rocks a rough or sometimes spongy rock, a form of volcanic glass, used to clean or smooth objects.

WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2025

pum•ice  (pum′is), n., v., -iced, -ic•ing. 
n. 

1. Rocks Also called pum′ice stone′. a porous or spongy form of volcanic glass, used as an abrasive.

v.t. 

2. to rub, smooth, clean, etc., with pumice.

• Latin), in pumicstān pumice stone; see pounce³
• Latin; compare Old English pumic- (
• Middle French pomis
• Latin pūmic-, stem of pūmex pumice stone; replacing Middle English pomis(e), pomish(e), pomice
• bef. 1000;

pu•mi•ceous  (pyo̅o̅ mish′əs), adj.  pum′ic•er, n. 

Collins Concise English Dictionary © HarperCollins Publishers::

pumice / ˈpʌmɪs/ noun

1. Also called: pumice stone a light porous acid volcanic rock having the composition of rhyolite, used for scouring and, in powdered form, as an abrasive and for polishing

verb

1. (transitive) to rub or polish with pumice

Etymology: 15th Century pomys, from Old French pomis, from Latin pūmex

pumiceous / pjuːˈmɪʃəs/ adjective