terrazzo

terrace

noun ter-RAHT-tsoh Rare

Origin: Italian terra (earth, ground) + augmentative suffix -azzo.

Also means

balcony; terrace floor

Usage Note

Terrazzo can mean a rooftop or outdoor terrace (sul terrazzo), but in English-speaking countries it is best known as the polished composite flooring material (pavimento in terrazzo) — that English borrowing came directly from this Italian word. In Italian the flooring sense is usually pavimento alla veneziana or simply terrazzo.

Examples

"Beviamo il caffè sul terrazzo."

Natural Translation

We drink coffee on the terrace.

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