STALACTITE, noun [Gr., to drop. Latin ] A subvariety of carbonate lime, usually in a conical or cylindrical form, pendent from the roofs and sides of caverns like an icicle; produced by the filtration of water containing calcarious particles, through fissures and pores of rocks.
Source: Webster's 1828 American Dictionary ↗ · public-domain · returned verbatim, no AI