spalling

English

Verb

spalling

1. present participle and gerund of spall
   • 2020 May 20, Philip Haigh, “Ribblehead: at the heart of the S&C's survival and its revival: Ribblehead Viaduct repairs”, in Rail, page 27:

     * Cutting back of spalling masonry, reinforcement and repair using colour-matched stone repair mortar.

Noun

spalling (countable and uncountable, plural spallings)

1. The process of reducing (stone blocks, etc.) to an approximately level surface by hammering.
   • 1919, The British Clay Worker, volume 27, page xxxi:

     In the British-made Greek bricks the magma is not so evenly distributed, but after successive spallings the brick is converted bit by bit into the larger crystal formation […]

2. Any process that spalls a surface, or the damage that results from that process: spallation.
   • 2021 May 5, Paul Stephen, “Restoring the glory of Ribblehead”, in RAIL, number 930, page 39:

     He says: "If we'd left any cracks exposed then it could have resulted in spalling.

3. A fragment or chip of stone.
   • 1967, Mining Engineering, volume 19, page 136:

     A third process fluid, water, is employed to cool the burner and to aid in the removal of spallings.

Related terms

• spaller

Anagrams

• laplings