telluric
- adjective
- /tɛˈlʊrɪk/
:
terreno
- What these reformers called for was the return to Argentine traditionalism, as expressed through the telluric forces of the pampa and the intrinsic virtue of gaucho men and women.
- telluric forces
Examples
-
The magical power of the pampa is found in its vastness, in the fact it cannot be dominated, and in the telluric forces that mark all who live on its rich resources.
Academic text (1995) -
The cities of the Old Ones, we learn, were gradually destroyed geologically by seismic upheavals, the wearing effect of rivers, and similar telluric events.
Academic text (1997) -
As a creature of the air, Isis could now observe the telluric situation from above and from different vantage points, thus distancing herself from the problem of how best to gain access to Osiris's coffin.
Academic text (1996) -
The telluric landscape was rich with minerals and fertile soil, making it ideal for farming.
-
Farmers often rely on telluric nutrients found in the ground to grow healthy crops.
-
The telluric environment is essential for sustaining various forms of life on Earth.
Synonyms
17
5.2
Relating to land or to things that live on land rather than in water
1
9.9
About land rather than the sea or sky
1
9.9
Relating to land rather than to the sea or air
Of materials that come from land and are carried to the sea
Surface Forms
Morphology
telluric = earth (opaque) = tellur + ic
Although formed from the combining form 'tellur-' + '-ic', the link to the common English word 'earth' is not obvious to most learners because 'tellur-' is a Latin root rather than the visible word 'earth'.
Etymology
Telluric comes from the Latin word tellus meaning 'earth', so it simply describes the land or ground. That's why we call ground-based forces or processes 'telluric'—they are 'of the land' rather than of the sea or air'.