noun
or tal·pe·ta·te ˌtälpəˈtäd.ē
( -s )
Etymology: American Spanish tepetate, talpetate, from Nahuatl tepetatl, from tetl stone + petatl mat
1. : a rock of superficial origin formed by the cementing action of calcium carbonate on sand, soil, or volcanic ash and equivalent in part to caliche or calcrete
2. : rather poor thin soil consisting of partly decomposed volcanic ash more or less consolidated