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) |