tufa
noun
tu·fa ˈtü-fə 
ˈtyü-
1
: tuff
2
: a porous rock formed as a deposit from springs or streams
specifically : travertine
tufaceous
tü-ˈfā-shəs
adjective tyü-
Example Sentences
Recent Examples on the Web Oso’s akin and tufa soils bear more resemblance to the ground on Howell Mountain than the rest of Pope Valley. 
Esther Mobley, San Francisco Chronicle, 26 Aug. 2022 The eerie tufa towers and migratory birds of Mono Lake. Christopher Reynoldsstaff Writer, Los Angeles Times, 1 July 2022 The hypersaline high-desert lake, famous for its towering, craggy tufa formations, has been at the center of long-running disputes over the city’s diversions of water from the lake’s feeder streams. Los Angeles Times, 15 Apr. 2022 Perhaps most spectacular, however, are Mono Lake’s tufa towers, created by the interaction of freshwater rising through alkaline lake water. J.d. Simkins, Sunset Magazine, 23 Mar. 2022 Limestone formations are also scattered throughout the lake and are called tufa towers. Megan Marples, CNN, 3 Feb. 2022 The tufa system is no longer active, apart from small drips during the rainy season. Benjamin Schoville, Quartz, 4 Apr. 2021 Located in Sorrento's town center and set on high tufa cliffs overlooking the Gulf of Naples with views across to Mount Vesuvius, this charming property has been catering to luxury travelers since 1834. Roger Sands, Forbes, 4 June 2021 Formations of tufa, a porous limestone, dot the lake, including one that gives Pyramid its name. New York Times, 27 May 2021 See More
Esther Mobley, San Francisco Chronicle, 26 Aug. 2022 The eerie tufa towers and migratory birds of Mono Lake. Christopher Reynoldsstaff Writer, Los Angeles Times, 1 July 2022 The hypersaline high-desert lake, famous for its towering, craggy tufa formations, has been at the center of long-running disputes over the city’s diversions of water from the lake’s feeder streams. Los Angeles Times, 15 Apr. 2022 Perhaps most spectacular, however, are Mono Lake’s tufa towers, created by the interaction of freshwater rising through alkaline lake water. J.d. Simkins, Sunset Magazine, 23 Mar. 2022 Limestone formations are also scattered throughout the lake and are called tufa towers. Megan Marples, CNN, 3 Feb. 2022 The tufa system is no longer active, apart from small drips during the rainy season. Benjamin Schoville, Quartz, 4 Apr. 2021 Located in Sorrento's town center and set on high tufa cliffs overlooking the Gulf of Naples with views across to Mount Vesuvius, this charming property has been catering to luxury travelers since 1834. Roger Sands, Forbes, 4 June 2021 Formations of tufa, a porous limestone, dot the lake, including one that gives Pyramid its name. New York Times, 27 May 2021 See More Word History
Etymology
Italian tufo, from Latin tofus
First Known Use
1770, in the meaning defined at sense 1