tadelakt means A type of waterproof plaster, commonly used in Moroccan architecture. It carries an Arena rating of 1306, earned across 8 head-to-head judged battles.
Among words judged in Lexicurio's Arena, tadelakt ranks #439 of 17,149 for Most Exacting Words, #1,788 of 17,126 for Most Satisfying to Say, #2,096 of 17,163 for Funniest Words, #3,059 of 17,130 for Most Beautiful Words.
Why “tadelakt” is a great word
A traditional Moroccan waterproof plaster finish, made from lime and polished with a stone, used for walls, floors, and in baths. From Moroccan Arabic تدلاكت (tadelakt), from Arabic تَدْلِيك (tadlīk, 'rubbing, massaging'), referring to the polishing process. Unlike stucco, a coarse, matte coating, or the marbled, decorative gleam of Venetian plaster, tadelakt is the patient labor of hands working lime into a monolithic, functional skin. It is the cool, eggshell-smooth curve of a hammam's interior, the amber glow of a courtyard wall holding the day's last warmth, and the silent, dark sheen of a basin that drinks spilled water without a trace—a testament to the virtue of surfaces made not merely to cover, but to endure.
noun
- A type of waterproof plaster, commonly used in Moroccan architecture.
Definitions & examples from Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 3.0).
Words closest in meaning
By meaning, not spelling — each word's AI semantic fingerprint, nearest first.
- chunam 54% match — A type of plaster made from lime and sand, used for indoor finishing and slope protection. vs tadelakt →
- pargeting 54% match — A form of decorative plasterwork used on exterior walls of buildings. vs tadelakt →
- zellige 53% match — A form of terracotta tilework covered with enamel in the form of chips set into plaster, characteristic of Moroccan architecture. vs tadelakt →
- bejmat 52% match — A traditional Moroccan hand-molded clay tile, typically unglazed and rectangular, used for flooring and outdoor paving. vs tadelakt →
- harling 52% match — The act or process of surfacing a wall with a slurry of pebbles or stone chips, then curing with a lime render. vs tadelakt →
- stucco 51% match — A material with binder and aggregate that is used to coat interior walls or to make interior mouldings. vs tadelakt →
- plasterable 51% match — Suitable for having plaster applied. vs tadelakt →
- plastering 50% match — The act or process of overlaying with plaster. vs tadelakt →