meerschaum
noun
[ ˈmɪəʃɔːm ]
• a soft white claylike material consisting of hydrated magnesium silicate, found chiefly in Turkey.
Origin:
late 18th century: from German, literally ‘sea foam’, from Meer ‘sea’ + Schaum ‘foam’, translation of Persian kef-i-daryā (alluding to the frothy appearance of the silicate).
