tessera Meaning, Definition & Usage

  1. noun a small square tile of stone or glass used in making mosaics

WordNet

Tes"se*ra noun
Etymology
L., a square piece, a die. See Tessellar.
Wordforms
plural Tesseræ
Definitions
  1. A small piece of marble, glass, earthenware, or the like, having a square, or nearly square, face, used by the ancients for mosaic, as for making pavements, for ornamenting walls, and like purposes; also, a similar piece of ivory, bone, wood, etc., used as a ticket of admission to theaters, or as a certificate for successful gladiators, and as a token for various other purposes. Fairholt.

Webster 1913