tessera

Definition

A small square piece of stone, wood, ivory or glass used for making a mosaic.

Etymology

Borrowed from Latin tessera (“a cube, a die with numbers on all six sides”), from Ancient Greek τέσσαρες (téssares, “four”).

Example Sentences

• "The map was laid using tesserae, small cube-shaped tiles of limestone, marble, or colored stone."
• "During the reign of Augustus, Rome imported marble from Egypt and Africa, and games of tali and tessera were played."