| 释义 |
tes·sera
\ˈtesərə\ noun
(plural tesser·ae \-əˌrē, -rī\)
Etymology: Latin, perhaps from Greek tessares, tesseres, tettares four; from its being four-cornered — more at four
1.
a. : a small tablet or die (as of wood, bone, or ivory) used by the ancient Romans as a ticket, tally, voucher, or means of identification
< tesserae … served as tokens for the distribution of corn — R.L.Poole >
b. : an identifying card or password
< showed him the tessera with photograph and identification — Ernest Hemingway >
2.
a. : a small piece (as of marble, glass, or tile) cut usually with a square or rectangular face and used in mosaic work
< inlaid with shining tesserae of blue glass — Norman Douglas >
b. : something that is likened to a piece of mosaic
< tesserae cemented together with brief comment and explanation — Times Literary Supplement >
3. : a small rectangular plate of bone (as in the carapace of the armadillo) |