rock tripe

noun

: any of various dark leathery umbilicate foliose lichens (as of the genus Umbilicaria) that are widely distributed on rocks in boreal and alpine areas and are sometimes used as food

Examples of rock tripe in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web Pausing for a water break before beginning his descent, Menke ran his hand over another boulder and broke off a piece of crusty rock tripe, or lichen. —

Ben McGrath, The New Yorker, 28 Nov. 2022

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'rock tripe.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.