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Reference.org
Tafoni
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<p>Tafoni (singular: tafone) are cavities that develop in granular rock. </p><p>Although various definitions[<i>example needed</i>] can be found[<i>by whom?</i>] in the scientific literature, tafoni are commonly defined as small (less than 1 cm (0.39 in)) to large (greater than 1 meter (3.3 ft)) cavity features that develop in either natural or manmade, vertical to steeply sloping, exposures of granular rock (i.e., granite, sandstone) with smooth concave walls, and often round rims and openings. Recognized subcategories of tafoni include <i><a href="/facts/Honeycomb_weathering/HAyCVlEV">honeycomb</a></i>, <i>stonelace</i>, <i>alveolar</i> (less than 2 cm (0.79 in)), <i>sidewall</i>, <i>basal</i>, <i>nested</i>, and <i>relic tafoni</i>. It is also commonly synonymous with <i>nido d’ape roccioso</i> in Italian. </p><p>The <a href="/facts/Etymology/18QG6y67">etymology</a> of the word <i>tafoni</i> is unclear. Tafoni may come from the <a href="/facts/Greek_language/pzDd6eIz">Greek</a> word <i>taphos</i>, <i>tomb</i>, or it may stem from a <a href="/facts/Corsican_language/QjwJhhJt">Corsican</a> or <a href="/facts/Sicilian_language/RQHklfV4">Sicilian</a> word for <i>holes</i>, <i>taffoni</i>, or from <i>tafonare</i> meaning <i>to perforate</i>. The earliest known publication of the term <i>tafoni</i> was in 1882. </p>